All the News About Denver’s Best Residential Community Since 1961 • Volume 58, Issue No. 6 • June 2019
Inside This Issue
Earth Matters: It’s Time To Improve Air Quality, Starting With Suncorp Refinery North Of Park Hill
PAGE 5
Studies Show Students Benefit From Tolerance and Cross-Cultural Understanding, Yet Denver Schools More Segregated Than Ever
Is It Spring Yet? Let’s Ask Robin
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Landmark Court Case At 65 Years
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Brown v. Board Of Education
East’s Constitutional Law Team Wins The National Championship
By Laura Lefkowits
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For the GPHN
continued on page 12
2019 Garden Walk Danielle Young gardening with her kids, as well as a niece and nephew, playing in the pool in the background. Young’s garden is one of seven featured in this year’s Park Hill Garden Walk, on Sunday, June 23. Check out pages 14 and 15 for all the information you need to see some of the neighborhood’s most entertaining and beautiful gardens. Photo courtesy of Danielle Young
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Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring the doctrine of “separate but equal” unconstitutional, turns 65 this year. Denver’s own desegregation case, Keyes v. School District No. 1, turns 46. While these court cases were hailed as the beginning of the end of state-sanctioned discrimination of students of color, court-ordered desegregation was highly unpopular and white flight was rampant. In Denver, 30,000 mostly white students fled the district in the first decade of busing. And yet, longitudinal research studies
Stedman’s Principal Michael Atkins Returns In Style
High School Sports Roundup, Plus East’s Arria Minor’s Superstar Finish
Upcoming GPHC Meetings Thursday, June 6 at 2823 Fairfax St. at 6:30 p.m. There is no meeting in July. August meeting is Aug. 1 All are welcome to attend.
Time To Party! Time To Parade! Denver Election 2019 volunteers, the parade has grown from an informal gathering of kids on bicycles to a rollicking party of thousands, cheering on participants who come by foot, on floats, on motorcycles, in cars, trucks and golf carts. This year Bresler is offering a challenge to individual blocks to band together, create floats, and show off their most creative efforts. If organizers get enough float entries, a winner will be crowned Best Parade Entry for 2019 and take home a trophy worthy of our ‘hood. Bresler is also still on the lookout for marching bands. Dust off your instruments, call a few friends and get the band back together. Bands, floats, and all other entries can still register online at parkhillparade.org. For ideas, check out photos from past parades at Facebook.com/ParkHillParade. If you are interested in sponsorship possibilities, contact Bresler at parkhillparade@gmail.com or at 303-918-6517. Ditto if you are interested in helping out before, during and after the parade this year – including setting up, registration, being a course marshal and tearing down afterwards.
Park Hill 4th of July Parade. File photo courtesy of Justin Bresler
This year marks some important milestones in Park Hill, and the neighborhood is gearing up to do it up right this summer.
Park Hill Parade Turns 10 The 10th Annual Park Hill 4th of July Parade kicks off at 1:30 p.m. on Independence Day. As it does every year, the parade route stretches along 23rd Avenue for 13 blocks from Dexter to Kearney streets. Under the leadership of Justin Bresler and many
GPHC Turns 50
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., turns 50 years old this summer. On Saturday, June 1, the Registered Neighborhood Organization is throwing an enormous block party to celebrate the milestone. Neighbors from across Park Hill and beyond are invited to the free celebration, for food, drinks, history and fun. The party is on Fairfax Street between 28th and 29th Avenues, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be food trucks, drinks, activities for kids, a silent auction, and a special historical showcase including a video celebrating some of Park Hill’s long- time residents. Everyone is welcome.
Just Vote, Again
Hancock and Giellis Face Off For Mayor On June 4, Other Critical Races Include Clerk & Recorder By Cara DeGette Editor, GPHN
Rinse and repeat. Last month’s citywide election was decisive in several ways. Incumbent City Councilman Chris Herndon, who represents District 8, fended off five challengers to win a third, and final term in office. Hendon won with 51.3 percent of the vote. District 8 includes Park Hill, Stapleton, East Colfax and Montbello. Initiative 300, the Right to Rest, got creamed, with more than 81 percent voting against. Initiative 301, the psilocybin mushroom measure, passed with nearly 51 percent of the vote, making Denver the first city in the country to decriminalize magic mushrooms. Citywide, five incumbent city councilmembers didn’t clear 50 percent of the vote, meaning they will face challengers in the Tuesday, June 4 runoff election. In Park Hill, voters will have several choices, including their choice for mayor of Denver. Here’s what’s at stake: Mayor: Incumbent Mayor Michael B. Hancock received just shy of 40 percent of the vote in May. He faces Jamie Giellis, a former president of the RiNo Art District, who came in second with about 25 percent of the vote. City Clerk & Recorder: Current City Councilman Paul Lopez received 36.2 percent of the vote in May. Voters will decide between Lopez and Public Interest Attorney Peg Perl, who won 32.6 percent of the vote. Initiative 302: Let Denver Vote: This measure would prohibit using public money being spent on any future efforts to bring the Olympics to Denver, without first obtaining voter approval in a special election. Ballots were mailed to all registered voters on Monday, May 20. They must be returned by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4. If you still have your ballot sitting on the counter, don’t risk popping it in the mail at this late date. Instead, fill it out, and drop it off at one of many nearby voter locations. Check out the website DenverDecides.org for info on where to drop off ballots – or where to vote in person if you prefer that method. Didn’t get a ballot? Or did you accidentally spill coffee, or maybe a dark beer on it? Not to worry. Stop by Denver election headquarters downtown at 200 W. 14th Ave. for a replacement.
talk of the neighborhood Compiled by Cara DeGette, Editor, GPHN
The following is a synopsis of what was discussed during the May 2 Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. monthly meeting. The next community meeting is Thursday, June 6, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at 2823 Fairfax St. It is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome. Note: there is no monthly meeting in July.
City Park Golf Course Update
trent nestman, d.d.S., m.S. park hill'S full-time
OrthOdOntic SpecialiSt 2206 Kearney St., 720-735-9800 www.nestmanortho.com
GPHC, Inc. board member Ryan Hunter provided an update on the new City Park Golf Course. Hunter, who represents Park Hill on the golf course committee, noted that there have been delays on construction due to inclement weather. He and others recently toured the soon-to-open bar and restaurant, which is to the north of the zoo off 23rd Avenue. Hunter said the buildings are beautiful, though the interiors had not yet been completed. One piece of good news, Hunter noted: The city was able to save 60 more trees than was expected at the outset of the nearly 2-year old project. Stay tuned for additional details, including the date the reconfigured golf course will open.
Food and Sustainability
GPHC, Inc. Executive Director Lana Cordes provided a brief update on food pantry operations and other programs. A total of 111 people received supplies from the food pantry in April, for a total of 284 so far this year. The weekend school food program serves around 80 local students weekly. On a separate topic, Greater Park Hill received its annual rating in the city’s neighborhood sustainability program. The ratings are based on a points program, and 110 points puts neighborhoods in the “outstanding status.” Park Hill racked up a walloping 162 points, which means that the neighborhood is overachieving in a big way on the sustainability scale.
Garden Walk Update
Real Estate Made Easy! 303-858-8100
7950 E Cedar Ave Sold $875,000 Custom 4 Bd|4 Ba Ann Torgerson
2840 Locust Street Sold $550,000 Updated 4 Bd|2 Ba Nina Kuhl
410 E 4th Ave U/C $1,825,000 Country Club 4 Bd Ann Torgerson
175 Yank Way Sold $493,000 Littleton 4 Bd Steve LaPorta
1434 Bellaire St U/C $719,900 Craftsman, East HS Allison Nuanes
613 S Oneida Way For Sale $675,000 Updated 3 Bd|3 Ba Ann Torgerson
1211 Ulster St Sold! Rep Buyer Remodeled 3 Bd|1 Ba Brianna Cosgriff
2773 S Lafayatte St Sold! Rep Buyer Charming 3 Bd Steve LaPorta
Park Hill Garden Walk co-chairs Carla Finch and Patty Mead provided an update on preparations underway for the June 23 Garden Walk. (See pages 14-15 for details, including how and where to purchase tickets.) Finch and Mead say they are always on the lookout for beautifully landscaped, as well as artsy and quirky gardens whose owners will agree to participate. If you have just finished a gorgeous garden, or know someone who may be interested, contact Finch and Mead via parkhillgardenwalk. org. Also, if you spot Finch and Mead driving or walking down alleys in the neighborhood and peering into peoples’ backyards, please don’t call 9-1-1. They are just out scouting for possibilities.
who we are
303-525-0640
Steve LaPorta
3030 23rd St Sold! Rep Buyer Ranch in Boulder Steve LaPorta
303-522-5922
Ann Torgerson
720-989-5763
303-913-5858
Nina Kuhl
2528 Clermont St Sold! Rep Buyer Updated Bungalow Allison Nuanes
Allison Nuanes
303-921-5842
303-827-6361
Roberta Locke Brianna Cosgriff
4754 Flanders Wy Sold $355,000 GVR 3 Bd|2.5 Ba Roberta Locke
1818 Quebec St #8-5 Sold! Rep Buyer Updated Townhome Nina Kuhl
Editor Cara Degette Manager Melissa Davis Art Director Tommy Kubitsky
how to find Us Voicemail 720-287-0442 Email newspaper@greaterparkhill.org Website www.greaterparkhill.org Facebook facebook.com/greaterparkhillnews Twitter @parkhillnews
contact us Story Tips and Letters to the Editor: Cara DeGette; 720-979-4385, editor@greaterparkhill.org Advertising information: ads@greaterparkhill.org Classified ads: Melissa Davis; 720-287-0442 (VM), newspaper@greaterparkhill.org Deadline for submissions is the 15th of every month
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District 2 Police Update
Denver Police Department Officer Sharon Avendaño provided an update on activities in the neighborhood. Overall, crime is down, though there continues to be reports of theft from cars. Avendaño reminded people to lock their doors and not keep valuables in cars. School is nearly out for the summer, and motorists should watch out for children outside playing and riding their bikes. Avendaño noted that residents with concerns can contact her directly at Sharon.avendano@denver gov or calling her at 720-913-1094 or 720-737-0739.
Early Pitch For School Board
Community advocate Tay Anderson is running for an at-large position in the DPS Board of Education in November. He provided an update on his reasons for running, including ensuring gender equality and providing equitable access to high quality education for all students. In addition, he supports providing additional counselors in schools, restorative justice programs and gender-neutral bathrooms. Anderson is a recent graduate of Manual High School who is now working at North High School. “If we are going to close the education gap we have to touch every neighborhood and know there is a new era of leadership for DPS,” Anderson said. His website is tayanderson.org.
Note From Editor
Last month we reported the newspaper won seven awards for excellence from the Colorado Press Association. Our writers and photographers won four first place awards, including for sustained and investigative news coverage of the Fairfax Park land swap deal, which detailed the park land deal that was brokered out of public view by Denver Councilman Chris Herndon and top officials of the city’s Parks and Recreation department. The newspaper also received top honors for political column writing, sports, education writing and layout and design. We have since been notified of three additional awards for work done in 2018. The Top of the Rockies, a regional journalism contest sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists, honored the newspaper for photography, political column writing and headline writing. The awards are testament to the incredible field of talented writers, photographers and designers that we have Park Hill. Major thanks and appreciation to all who contribute to the newspaper –including volunteers who bundle and deliver the newspaper. If you are interested in contributing – or if you have a story idea or tip – contact me at editor@greaterparkhill.org or at the phone number listed below in the staff box.
The Greater Park Hill News is published by Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. (GPHC) on the 1st of each month. Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily the opinions of GPHC. GPHC does not necessarily endorse the companies, products or services advertised in The Greater Park Hill News unless specifically stated. GPHC reserves the right to run any advertisement. Circulation is 14,000 and is distributed in the Park Hill Area by neighborhood volunteers. The Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., is a volunteerbased registered neighborhood organization that: promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill; provides resources, information and advocacy; and preserves quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation.
This newspaper is made possible through the support of our advertisers and members. If you are not already a member, please consider joining the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
Birdland | Mark Silverstein
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Is It Spring, Yet?
In Colorado, spotting a Robin is springtime signified, accompanied by bursts of color and blue skies and sun and rain and that delicious feeling that summer – and all its promises – lie just beyond. This spring in Colorado has been a challenge, to be sure, with snow and cold punching right through May. Just when we thought winter would surely never end, this American Robin arrived. He was photographed at the Marjorie Perry Nature Reserve in Greenwood Village south of Park Hill by Mark Silverstein.
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Anastasia Williamson lives and works in Park Hill. She loves this neighborhood for its architectural and cultural diversity. That kind of expertise qualifies her as a true Park Hill resident expert. It’s why Anastasia ranks as one of Park Hill’s most successful Realtors. Clients know her expertise translates into top dollar for their properties.
2875 Albion • $589,900 3 Beds | 2 Baths | 1,560 SqFt Detached Finished Studio Space
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Anastasia’s Park Hill SOLDS Speak For Themselves! 3075 Clermont St 4114 E. 19th Ave 1612 Bellaire St 1607 Bellaire St 2595 Fairfax St 1558 Clermont St 1647 Clermont St 2816 Dahlia St 2383 Hudson St 2821 Dahlia St 2686 Dexter St 2248 Holly St 1901 Cherry St 2556 Elm St 2615 Elm St 2611 Birch St 2630 Glencoe St 2052 Krameria St 2884 Albion St 2967 Clermont 2886 Cherry 2646 Birch St 1638 Clermont St
June 2019
2810 Bellaire St 2605 Fairfax St 2677 Ash St 2560 Birch St 2681 Cherry St 2809 Birch St 2514 Glencoe St 2652 Fairfax St 1688 Newport St 2609 Eudora St 2800 Birch St 3060 Ash St 2810 Olive St 1623 Bellaire St 2037 Krameria St 2084 Forest St 1536 Clermont St 2224 Grape St 2345 Clermont St 2070 Birch St 2861 Albion St 2530 Bellaire St 2820 Birch St
2614 Glencoe St 2840 Clermont St 1929 Bellaire St 1915 Monaco Pkwy 1544 Leyden St 2920 Cherry St 2621 Grape St 2576 Fairfax St 2581 Dahlia St 2389 Cherry St 2829 Clermont St 2960 Ash St 2556 Clermont St 2681 Cherry St 4545 E. 29th Ave 2530 Glencoe St 2895 Birch St 2955 Ivy St 1610 Locust St 2575 Clermont St 4345 E. 16th Ave 2680 Ash St 2861 Birch St
The Greater Park Hill News
2854 Cherry St 2091 Hudson St 2645 Ash St 2570 Bellaire St 2616 Fairfax St 4326 Batavia Pl 2845 Cherry St 2947 Clermont St 3035 Bellaire St 2670 Grape St 2655 Elm St 1418 Grape St 2680 Ash St 2271 Clermont St 2817 Albion St 2684 Fairfax St 2894 Dexter St 2855 Ash St 3010 Clermont St 2295 Eudora St 3025 Albion St 2668 Elm St 2936 Albion St
2389 Cherry St 2654 Elm St 2514 Glencoe St 2065 Hudson St 2845 Cherry St 1623 Bellaire St 2855 Dahlia St 2825 Bellaire St 2900 Ash St 2681 Clermont St 2829 Ash St 2251 Ash St 2877 Cherry St 2341 Ivy St 2847 Clermont St 3010 Cherry St 2665 Forest St 2517 Elm St 1669 Newport St 3045 Fairfax St 4660 E 16th Ave 2877 Cherry St 2971 Bellaire St
2531 Clermont St 2894 Birch St 2801 Dexter St 3593 Monaco St 2668 Birch St 2664 Cherry St 2032 Holly St 2819 Ivanhoe St 1637 Elm St 2679 Albion St 3610 Magnolia St 1775 Monaco Pkwy 2582 Bellaire St 2233 Holly St 2229 Birch St 2862 Ash St 1855 Cherry St 2637 Eudora St 2542 Ash St 2045 Krameria St
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Letters to the Editor Help Save The Hut
In a time when much of Denver’s political discussion focuses around how development is changing the character of our neighborhoods, a group of community members is hoping to save one of the oldest homes in Park Hill from the wrecking ball. 1980 Albion St., the first home to be constructed along Montview Boulevard, was built by Charles A. Johnson, a well-known Denver businessman and socialite. Johnson has been credited with helping much of Denver’s early development, including the Park Hill neighborhood itself. He was well known for his leadership and membership in numerous civic organizations around Denver. The Albion house was designed by wellknown architect of the time Theodore Davis Boal. It was a popular venue for Denver society events, featured in the Denver Social Club and Club Annual and was so well known by Denverites that no address was needed. It was mentioned in newspapers and other publications simply as “The Hut.” Last July, The Hut was purchased by a local group doing business as “Historic Park Hill, LLC.” Allegedly, their original intention was to fix the house up. However, after purchasing the home they did a thorough
inspection and found that more repairs were needed than they had anticipated and they began the process to obtain a demolition permit. In response, concerned neighbors and community members banded together and submitted an application for the property to be designated a historic landmark. The Landmark Preservation Commission found that 1980 Albion St. met all three of the criteria for landmark status (geography, history and architecture). While Historic Park Hill LLC fulfilled aspects of an agreement they signed with the applicant group, they have not committed to any of the preservation options proposed nor have they made any indication that they intend to save the house. While the property is currently listed for sale on the Denver Multiple Listing Service (MLS), it has also been fenced off, trees have been cut down and work required for demolition has been started. The community fears that the house will soon be demolished. Those working for preservation of “The Hut” are hoping a buyer with the desire and means to purchase and rehab this piece of Denver’s history will come forward before it is too late, or that the owners will agree to save the house. For now, the fate of 1980
Albion St. remains unknown. To learn more about preservation efforts, history, architecture and unique features, as well as sign a petition to show your support for the saving “The Hut,” visit SaveTheHutHouse. com. Angel Johnson Park Hill Editor’s note: Read more about “The Hut,” in the story that appeared in the December issue of the Greater Park Hill News, at greaterparkhill.org/2018/12/the-future-ofthe-hut-unclear/
Help Save The Farm One of the last homes of North Park Hill built in the 1900s is slated to be demolished. The house is the last structure left of the Quinn Brother’s Dairy farm. The farm catered to the many needs for fresh milk and butter for the residents of northeast Denver. The current owning trust has applied for a permit to demolish this wonderful piece of Denver history. This same trust has already demolished the only other building associated with the Quinn farm. The farmhouse is at 5335 36th Ave. Being a longtime resident of the neighborhood, I am trying to raise the funds needed for the application to designate landmark status for this historical Denver building by the city. Landmark status may help put off the wrecking ball on this property. Please check out our gofundme page for more information and updates. Walter Ware Clayton
Olympics In Denver? You Decide
YOU’VE SPENT 30 YEARS BUILDING YOUR NEST EGG. NOW COMES THE HARD PART: MAKING IT LAST ANOTHER 30.
On Tuesday, May 7, Denver’s election results confirmed a runoff for the offices of both mayor and county clerk, which also confirms the Let Denver Vote Initiative as Measure 302 on the Tuesday, June 4 citywide ballot. The initiative gives Denver voters the final say to reject or accept the spending of any taxpayer dollars to bid for or host the Olympics in Denver. The issue has gained bipartisan support, with leaders from every place on the political spectrum affirming that this issue transcends politics. The campaign boasts supporters who prefer not to host the Olympics as well as supporters who are enthusiastic supporters of the Olympics. What they all share is a passionate commitment that Denver residents should have the right to vote on the issue. A yes vote in June on Measure 302 gives Denver residents the right to vote in the future on whether or not to allow the spending of any tax dollars on pursuing the Olympics. For more information about the Let Denver Vote Initiative, visit LetDenverVote.org. Owen Perkins Denver
Time To Think Tiny CALL 303-803-1016 TO LEARN MORE
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Thank you Denver voters for re-electing me to my final term as an at-large city council member. It is my honor to serve you for another four years. The people’s business doesn’t stop during election season, but with my election over I am excited to solely focus on tackling the city issues that matter to all Denverites. You’re invited to join my office and Denver’s Community Planning and Development at a public meeting to discuss proposed updates to Denver’s zoning and building codes regarding tiny home villages. The meeting will be on Wednesday, June 5, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church at 2015 Glenarm Pl. Tiny homes are one novel solution to the affordable housing crisis that has been effective in other cities around the country. The proposed zoning and building code changes would create an easier pathway to build tiny home villages in Denver. There will be a presentation on the proposed changes from the councilwoman and city staff, followed by community Q&A. A rep-
resentative of Denver’s current village, the Colorado Village Collaborative, will also be present to answer questions about Denver’s first pilot village. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information contact my office at 720-337-7712 or by emailing Kniechatlarge@denvergov.org Robin Kniech Denver City Councilwoman
This Customer Is Not Happy
FirstBank made a $25,000 contribution to Together Denver to oppose Initiative 300. As treasurer of the Denver Right to Survive Initiative Committee, which was the campaign in support of 300, I opened our account in March 2018 in part because FirstBank is a locally owned Colorado bank supposedly of a different ilk than the banks that wrecked our economy more than 10 years ago. FirstBank’s slogans gave reassurance but I now see they are empty and meaningless. Consider the following: FirstBank slogan: “Banking for Good means putting people first.” Unless FirstBank has to put business/property interests of the real estate and related trade groups first. FirstBank website: “We love our home state and we’re proud of the contributions we’ve made to it.” They are proud of donating $25,000 to oppose Initiative 300, which would have restored constitutional and human rights to homeless individuals, couples and families in Denver. FirstBank website: “…our commitment to our customers and to our communities has not changed.” Until the May election when they decided to help the city and powerful downtown business interests punish people experiencing homelessness by continuing whack-a-mole enforcement and police sweeps, a ban on sitting and lying down in public spaces, and criminalizing them for being homeless. These practices cause sleep deprivation, affecting brain function and every organ system of the body. These practices force people experiencing homelessness to move to unsafe environments further from resources upon which they depend. FirstBank Mission: “Banking for Good for our Customers, Communities and Employees.” As one of your customers, you did us and people experiencing homelessness harm, not good. Dianne Thiel Denver Editor’s note: Denver voters defeated Initiative 300, with more than 81 percent voting against it, in the May election.
Sept. 8: We’ve Got A Date The 41st Annual Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair will take place on Sunday, Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tour seven homes in Denver’s most architecturally diverse neighborhood and then enjoy the annual free Street Fair on Forest Street Parkway at Montview Boulevard. The Street Fair includes vendors, live entertainment, food trucks, wine & beer, kids’ activities, and a sustainability zone. Home Tour ticket sales will begin July online and Aug. 15 in retail locations. This year’s tour features a collection of homes built from 1925-1950 in architectural styles including Traditional, Mediterranean, Craftsman Bungalow, Mid-century Ranch, Tudor, and Santa Fe/ Pueblo. Make sure to mark your calendars and make sure to check upcoming issues of the newspaper for updates and more information. Jen Mathis, Home Tour Publicity Coordinator Editor’s note: We love your letters, and give preference to those that address an issue that has been covered in the newspaper, or a topic that is Park Hill or Denver-specific. Join the conversation and make your voices heard. Send letters to editor@greaterparkhill.org, and include your full name, and the neighborhood in which you live. Deadlines are the 15th of each month, for the following month’s issue. The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
Living And Breathing The Document East High’s Constitutional Law Team Wins National Championship By Reid Neureiter For the GPHN
East High senior Sophie Goldberg, a member of the national championship-winning Con Law team. Below: The 2019 trophy with the United States Constitution printed on aluminum plates.
June 2019
The Greater Park Hill News
When one thinks of dynasties, a few come to mind: John Wooden’s UCLA Bruin Basketball team. The Pittsburg Steelers of the 1970s. The Ming. To that pantheon should be added the Denver East High School Constitutional Law program, which has won dozens of Colorado state championships. This year, guided by teachers Susan McHugh and Matt Fulford, the team took home the ultimate prize, winning the National Championship in the Rayburn Office Building of the U.S. House of Representatives while competing against nearly 1,200 budding constitutional scholars from all 50 states. East previously took home the national title in 2009. Since 2010, Denver’s oldest high school has failed only once to win Colorado and move on to the national finals in Washington. Over that time, East has finished second in the nation (2016), third (2013), sixth two times (2011 and 2018) and seventh (2017). Officially called “We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution,” the program requires students to be enrolled in a yearlong civics class that focuses on the U.S. Constitution. During the national finals, students participate in simulated congressional hearings. There, they testify as constitutional experts before panels of judges acting as congressional committees. Each hearing begins with a four-minute opening statement by students and is followed by a six-minute period of follow-up questioning during which judges probe students’ depth of knowledge, understanding, and their ability to apply constitutional principles. The format provides students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles. The judges assess stu-
dents’ knowledge and application of those principles to historical and current constitutional issues.
numerous volunteer “judges,” who try to model the kinds of questioning the student panels will face in competition.
All rise
Making better citizens
East senior and Park Hill resident Sophie Goldberg was a member of this year’s championship squad. Winning the national title is much like a fulltime job – a culmination of nine months of intensive preparation and study. Goldberg, who lives on Montview Boulevard, estimates that she and her panel-mates spent between 15-20 hours a week, including class time, researching and preparing. “It is a lot of work, but it does not seem like a lot if you are interested in the subject,” she says.
Over the years, East’s coaches and volunteer judges have included Colorado luminaries – many of whom live in Park Hill. They include Denver District Attorney Beth McCann, former United States Attorney Tom Strickland, and Clerk of Court to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Betsy Schumaker. This year, panel coaches and volunteer judges included Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Daniel Taubman, former U.S. Attorney and current U.S. Senate Candidate John Walsh, Denver County Court Judge Barry Schwartz, as well as Sophie Goldberg’s father, Holland and Hart law partner, Greg Goldberg. (See page 7 for additional volunteers.) Goldberg cites two crucial key lessons that, in his view, students take from the program: “The elegance and beauty of the American constitutional system, and that the American constitutional system is not infallible and requires education, knowledge, study, and engagement to protect.” Judge Schwartz has been involved in the program since 2012 and his own East graduate son, Andrew, went to nationals in 2013. Schwartz believes the program is transformative. “This program changes lives. It changed my son’s life. It opens a door to civic engagement and understanding of the essential nature of the society we live in. It makes them better citizens.” The benefits, according to Schwartz, are not just for the students. “The little bit of work I did has made me a better citizen. I learned more about the Constitution from these students than I have taught them.”
“The little bit of work I did has made me a better citizen. I learned more about the Constitution from these students than I have taught them.”
-- Denver County Court Judge Barry Schwartz Goldberg spent much of her time reading about the importance of checks and balances in the Constitution, and the historic tensions between the Federalist and the Anti-Federalists in the debates over the adoption of the Bill of Rights. The Constitutional balance between the Executive and Congress has lately been disrupted, she explains, by modern presidents’ use of executive orders, “which has increased exponentially in recent years.” Goldberg attributes the remarkable continued success of East’s program to a vast amount of community involvement. In addition to teachers McHugh and Fulford, each panel has its own volunteer coach, usually a local Denver lawyer or judge, and
continued on page 7
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Earth MAtters | Tracey MacDermott
The Brown Cloud Is Back
Gov. Polis and Rep. DeGette Are Working To Close Loopholes, Improve Air Quality
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Springtime is in full swing and getgas has expanded along the Front Range. ting outdoors is a priority. Denverites are In addition, our population has grown, as blessed with an incredible view of our city has the number of car tailpipe emissions. In skyline and stunning snowcapped mounorder to adjust to the increase in population tains, and yet again, that view is tainted by we will need to move to renewable resourcthe brown cloud. es to improve the air quality. As a child I had a panoramic Both Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. view of our mountains from Rep. Diana DeGette are working Colorado Springs to Longmont, on solutions to our air quality which also provided an unsightly issues. Some of Colorado’s dirty view of the brown cloud hanging air is a result of China’s pollution over the Front Range. blowing into the state. The EPA My family moved here shortly may excuse us from being conafter the Federal Clean Air Act sidered a serious violator from went into effect in 1972. That federal standards, however Polaw is now under threat from the lis has strongly come out against Trump Administration. In April excusing us from improving our of last year, the president directed air quality. Rather than pointing the Environmental Protection fingers, he is focusing on movTracey Agency to ease air quality rules, ing us to electric vehicles and MacDermott stating that it posed “unnecesrenewable energy. sary and outdated barriers to In March, DeGette introgrowth.” duced legislation to regulate The Clean Air Act estabthe amount of hydrogen If we can figure out lished the National Ambicyanide from refineries. The ent Air Quality Standards how to close the hole in intent is to plug a loophole in (NAAQS), which led to es- the ozone layer, we can the Clean Air Act, which has tablishing standards on these certainly solve Denver’s no maximum limit for this pollutants: sulfur dioxide, chemical. Currently companitrogen dioxide, particulate air pollution problem. nies are allowed to set their matter, carbon monoxide, own limit without regard to ozone and lead. nearby communities. The Here in Colorado, the loophole exists because the Department of Public Health and EnviEPA has not set a maximum allowable limronment (CDPHE) Air Quality website it. DeGette describes this as inexcusable. notes, “ground-level ozone is an air polHydrogen cyanide can cause headaches, lution problem that impacts the health of respiratory failure, and has been used as all Coloradans. Exposure can cause acute chemical warfare. respiratory problems and trigger asthma Protecting public health attacks.” Colorado’s air quality has been worsening and we have been exceeding the Communities that live near refineries – ozone standards. such as those close to Suncor, in Commerce City just north of Park Hill – could see Ground level ozone health protections through this proposal. You may recall when scientists were worSuncor pumps more than 25,000 pounds ried about the hole in the ozone layer in of the chemical into the air each year. Vulthe 1980’s. Scientists discovered a massive nerable communities near refineries and hole above Antarctica, which was created highways have been burdened with higher by chlorofluorocarbons in the air. Scienlevels of pollutants. DeGette’s legislation tists identified what was causing the probwill amend the Clean Air Act by: lem and the world reacted by phasing out • Requiring the Environmental Protecchloroflourocarbons. It is expected that by tion Agency to set a numerical emissions 2050 the ozone hole will completely close. limit on hydrogen cyanide (HCN) from The ozone layer is different than ground petroleum refineries within two years of level ozone. Ground level ozone is typically enactment. caused from the interaction of car exhaust • Requiring that the EPA sets a limit for fumes and sunlight. This is harmful to not hydrogen cyanide that provides the only humans but to plants. The damage “maximum degree of reduction in emisto plants can result in lower agricultural sions that is achievable” and “assures an yields, potentially leading to food shortagample margin of safety to protect public es. In addition to harmful effects to human health and environment.” health and food shortages, it also contrib• Requiring the EPA to set a limit for hyutes to climate change. If we can figure out drogen cyanide that reflects the best how to close the hole in the ozone layer, we available science regarding the effects of can certainly solve Denver’s air pollution HCN on the health of children and vulproblem. nerable sub-populations, including when Our air quality has worsened as oil and multiple sources of HCN and exposure to additional pollutants may be present in a given area. • Requiring petroleum refineries that emit hydrogen cyanide to establish real-time fence-line monitoring and online public reporting of its hydrogen cyanide emissions. Despite President Trump’s direction to loosen rules surrounding air quality, two of Colorado ‘s own elected officials are working hard to protect Coloradans from deleterious health effects and climate change. They both should be thanked for their efforts to address these critical issues. Tracey MacDermott is chair of the board of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Active in the Registered Neighborhood Organization for many years, MacDermott was the 2012 recipient of the Dr. J. Carlton Babbs Award for Community Service. She was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in 2017, and is currently the Statewide CoChair of the Climate Reality Project for the 100% Committed Campaign. The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
Under the dome | State Sen. Angela Williams
The New Uncertainty Trump Policies Put Colorado Businesses At Risk
The Colorado way of life is defined by our indepenstate depend upon the export of our wheat and our dent nature, and our economy is built upon the entrebeef, and the hardworking people of Colorado’s agripreneurial spirit and hard work of people all across this cultural industry will be left scrambling to find new great state. It is a large part of the reason revenue streams as China halts the importawhy the chaos coming out of The White tion of these products. While they seek out new House doesn’t resonate here. Twitter tanways to make up for their losses, they will also trums and international disputes often feel face increased competition from neighboring distant and irrelevant in a state like ours farming states, which have no choice but to also that has fought hard to keep its head above adapt to the chaos. the public spectacle that is our national I was raised on a farm in rural Oklahoma, politics. where I learned quickly that the biggest chalWhile that fight is a simple one to mainlenge we faced would be uncertainty. I carried tain when the topic of the hour resembles that lesson from my childhood with me to Colthe plot of a TV drama, the stakes change orado. As a small business owner, I understand when the well being of our state’s economy that the uncertainty of the future can keep you is at stake. The tariffs imposed on China up at night. Farmers and small business owners are not just signs of a trade war, they are angela williams from all corners of Colorado understand that acts of hostility against those whose busiinstability can come with their profession at nesses are the backbone of the Colorado times. As tariffs are imposed overnight, mareconomy. kets drop in the blink of an eye and the costs of operaFrom the onset of 2018, President Donald Trump tion begin to rise, putting family farmers at risk. has imposed a series of tariffs on everything from solar As a state senator, I understand the responsibility panels, to steel and aluminum, to washing machines. that comes with the ability to make public policy. Bad This evolving economic policy has encouraged some of decisions can leave a lasting legacy, and it is clear to me Colorado’s most frequent and profitable trading partthat the trade war with China has not been waged with ners to leverage similar, retaliatory tariffs, with our care. The uncertainty I faced as a young girl on a farm state caught in the middle. in Oklahoma is not the same uncertainty that our small Colorado’s small and medium-sized businesses, business owners and farmers face today. whose products have found themselves subject to the The effort to start what appears to be a global trade newly imposed tariffs, will have to make decisions that war suggests that our President is much less a captain could potentially decide whether or not they can keep steering a ship through turbulent times, and much their doors open. Some business owners face hundreds more a political weathervane, implementing policy in of thousands of dollars in duty fees as the situation bewhatever direction the wind and his impulsivity blows tween the United States and China escalates. Other him. Profits can change drastically with the weather, business owners have no choice but to adapt to the new but global economic policy should not, and our small business environment by passing the costs of tariffs on businesses of all kinds deserve to have a future to which to consumers. they can adapt. The shortsightedness of this policy has shaken ColoAngela Williams represents District 33, which includes rado farmers particularly hard, as the agricultural inPark Hill, in the Colorado State Senate. She can be dustry finds itself as one of the main targets of China’s contacted at 303-866-4864. response to the tariffs. Thousands of people across this
Living and Breathing, cont. from page 5 Standing their ground Doug and Maureen Wulf, who live in Park Hill on Leyden Street, echo Judge Schwartz’s view of the transformative benefits of the program. Each of the Wulf’s three children have participated, and each was able to go to Washington for the national finals, in 2013, 2015, and 2017, respectively. Doug Wulf, a commercial real estate broker, says that his children learned lessons that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Wulf recounted that Connor, now a college graduate, recently used the methods he learned in Con Law in order to stand up to and withstand criticism from a difficult consulting client. “These junior year experiences turn into collegiate or real world opportunities,” Doug Wulf says. “It really has a profound impact on the way kids study, and the way they discover their passions from academic and civic pursuits. It changes their perceptions, not just of patriotism but of self. It gives the ability to stand their ground, and gives sense of self in a social arena.” Maureen Wulf says that their youngest child, daughter Kelly, now a freshman at the University of Virginia, has risen to the challenges of college in part thanks to the lessons from Con Law, which requires teamwork and coordination. According to Maureen Wulf, it gives you the tools “to deal with almost any situation.” National champion Sophie Goldberg is still processing her team’s victory this spring. “It has still not sunk in that we won.” She also continues to ponder the lessons from her Washington experience, which included meetings with David Bossie, the conservative activist chairman of the Citizens United organization, and conservative Federal Appellate Judge Laurence Silberman. One thing she is convinced of is that that every participating student is now “more aware of how our country works.” Many professionals (including numerous Park Hillians) have, over many years, contributed to East High Con Law’s success in major ways. Volunteer judges and coaches have included the following: Jessica Anderson Scott Barker Bernie Buescher Dan Culhane Greg Goldberg Ed Kahn Jeff Pearson Paige Romer Bill Scarpato
Judy Schulman Pat Sculley Judge Barry Schwartz Betsy Shumaker Judge Dan Taubman Adrienne Tecza Thad Tecza Les Volpe John Walsh
After receiving a postcard from Colorado focus on delivering a simple, speedy process. House Buyers, a Park Hill homeowner reached Consider the average home listing, which might be on the market out to the company for help selling a home that infor 30 to 60 days. Factor in closings that can easily surpass 45 cluded what can become an obstacle for many prospective sellers: many updates and costly repairs. “Most people think they need to spend time and money getting a house ready for the market,” said Mark Krajewski, Colorado House Buyers. “There are other options that can still get you top dollar for your home that most people don’t know about. We take all the stress out of it.” While this Park Hill home might have become mired in the traditional selling process, the Colorado House Buyers team worked with the homeowner to move quickly just as the homeowner requested.
Selling your Park Hill home? Do you know all your options?
“We talked through the property and the specifics that night, then the seller agreed to the proposal the next day,” Krajewski said. “We closed within 14 days.”
These guys actually buy houses. They don’t just throw out a low-ball offer or tie up the property like most investors trying to sell to other investors. Colorado House Buyers are the end buyer. That’s what they do and they are great at it. That efficiency is one of many reasons that prospective sellers continue to be drawn to Colorado House Buyers’ unconventional approach to real estate. The process includes an initial consultation and a thorough evaluation of the home and property to determine any repairs and/or updates that need to be made before or if sellers list the home for sale.
During a property’s evaluation, Colorado House Buyers also analyzes the surrounding neighborhood to determine the selling price of similar
homes. They will show you why a particular house sold for a certain price. If Colorado House Buyers thinks you should list your house with a real estate agent, they will gladly tell you that’s what they recommend. Not every house is a fit.
Despite the thorough property evaluation and in-depth discussions with each seller, the Colorado House Buyers team maintains a
days, and it’s no wonder that home sales can unexpectedly fall through due to a variety of factors, leaving both the buyer and the seller scrambling for alternatives.
That’s one of the many reasons the Denver homeowner mentioned earlier in the story reached out to Colorado House Buyers. The client worked in the mortgage industry, and “didn’t want to go through the traditional selling process,” Krajewski said. As a result, the homeowner was able to quickly sell the home at a great price and move to a two-bedroom apartment to escape the burden of lawn and home maintenance.
Colorado House Buyers’ approach to home buying and selling — including the ease and speed of the process — has been a big hit with
both buyers and sellers, prompting Krajewski to expand the team, extending Colorado House Buyers’ reach across the Denver metro area. Adam McCanna and Mark Krajewski have both been with Colorado House Buyers since inception, and continue to make an immediate and memorable impact on the company’s clients. The Colorado House Buyers team also includes Keith Cook, a project manager who joined the company in 2018. Despite the flurry of growth, McCanna and Krajewski have maintained a laser focus on delivering an exceptional client experience — and that includes working closely with each client to understand their challenges and concerns, then doing what they can to alleviate them.
“We want everyone to feel happy about the decision they’ve made,” McCanna said. “We enjoy
working with people and their families and do whatever we can to make it a smooth transition.”
Colorado House Buyers has been working with Park Hill homeowners for the past 3 years and currently has 7 active projects ongoing in Park Hill:
2637 Fairfax St., 2695 Fairfax St., 2916 Birch St., 2660 Ash St., 2690 Bellaire St., 4035 Batavia St., 2945 Fairfax St.
Call or email Mark to schedule a quick assessment of your homes worth
720-598-8999
June 2019
The Greater Park Hill News
mark@cohousebuyersllc.com www.cohousebuyersllc.com Page 7
is in the conference center at the Denver Central Library downtown at 14th Avenue and Broadway. It features more than 60,000 items, including children’s books, nonfiction and fiction books, along with CDs, DVD and audio books. Prices start at under $1, and new items are added daily. The annual summer sale raises more than $70,000 for library programs, services and materials. Books and materials sold come from both private donations, as well as items that have been retired from the library’s collection.
choir room, at 1980 Dahlia St. The cost is $10 per singer. Contact Barbara Hulac hulac@montview.org for more information or to RSVP. • June 6: Read-through Cecelia McDowall’s new Da Vinci Requiem with MB Krueger conducting. • June 13: Vaughn Williams Dona Nobis Pacem, and Britten’s Ballad of Heros, conducted by Adam Waite. • June 20: An Evening of Henry Purcell, including Morning Service, Funeral Sentences and Birthday Ode with Michael Todd Krueger conducting. • June 27: Handel’s Messiah, Taylor Martin, conducting with String Quartet and Harpsichord.
Teach A Child To Read
HUD Action Plan Underway
Community Announcements
Becky Wareing Steele, with students
Our Virtual World
Social Spheres explores the rapidly changing social environments today’s kids experience - from community spaces to virtual worlds. Guest artist Becky Wareing Steele will exhibit fascinating miniature environments alongside youth artists with Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA). The exhibition opens to the public with a free reception on Thursday, June 20, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with performances by Roshni Dance Ensemble and the Congolese Gloria Choir to observe World Refugee Day. The exhibition runs through Sept. 6. DAVA is at 1405 Florence St., one block south of Colfax in the Aurora Cultural Arts District. Middle and high school students in DAVA’s Job Training Program created an installation of ceramic roads representing social spaces and media. Computer Art Lab students captured sounds from social spaces and designed digital images of their physical and virtual environments All of DAVA’s exhibitions are free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, or by appointment. For more information, email gallery@davarts.org.
Becky Wareing Steele Treehouse Prototype
Library Book Sale June 5-8
The Denver Public Library Friends Foundation annual summer used book sale is Wednesday, June 5 through Saturday, June 8. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The sale
Since 1993 volunteer tutors have made a lifelong difference in thousands of children’s lives by tutoring them in reading. You too can make a difference by joining in the fight for literacy. The Children’s Literacy Center is accepting applications for volunteers to tutor children who are struggling with their reading skills. Tutoring will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to noon, from June 3 – July 11 at Z Place-Evie Dennis Campus, 4800 Telluride St. Another session will run on Saturdays from June 22 – July 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 9898 East Colfax Ave. Visit childrensliteracycenter.org, to complete the volunteer application today. Parents, if you are interested in enrolling your student in the program, contact Pamela Polke at 719-4718672 ext.1, for more information.
SNAP, It’s Art
Discounted general museum admission tickets at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) are now available to Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. In partnership with Denver Human Services (DHS), SNAP cardholders will now be able to purchase $1 per person general museum admission for up to 10 people total when they show their valid SNAP debit card at the welcome desk. The discount cannot be combined with other discounts and does not include special ticketed museum exhibitions. For more information visit Bit.ly/DHSMuseumDiscount.
Calling All Choristers
June is choral reading season at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, featuring four Thursday nights singing exciting masterworks from across the pond. All sessions start at 7 p.m. downstairs in the
And the Winners Are… Winners of the 2019 Colorado Book Awards were announced on Saturday, May 18 at a celebration event at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. Author, actor and comic Adam CaytonHolland, who grew up in Park Hill, won the Creative Nonfiction category for his book Tragedy Plus Time: A Tragi-Comic Memoir. Sponsored by Outskirts Press, First Western Trust, The Colorado Sun, and Shaw Construction, the Colorado Book Awards recognize outstanding contributions by Colorado authors, editors, and illustrators in 13 categories. Here are the other winners of the 2019 competition: Anthology/Collection: Mile High Stories: 25 Years of Our Best Writing, edited by Geoff Van Dyke Children’s Literature: The Little i Who Lost His Dot by Kimberlee Gard, illustrated by Sandie Sonke General Fiction: Go Ask Fannie by Elisabeth Hyde General Nonfiction: Doggie in the Window by Rory Kress History: The Woolly West: Colorado’s Hidden History of Sheepscapes by Andrew Gulliford Juvenile Literature: Del Toro Moon by Darby Karchut (Owl Hollow Press) Literary Fiction: Mad Boy: A Novel by Nick Arvin (Europa Editions)
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Mystery: Death by G-String: A Coyote •Canyon Ladies Ukulele Club Mystery by C. C. Harrison •enPoetry: Ghost Of by Diana Khoi NguyScience Fiction/Fantasy: While Gods •Sleep by L. D. Colter Thriller: •Wilson Mister Tender’s Girl by Carter Young Adult Literature: 500 Words or •Less by Juleah Del Rosario
Adam Cayton-Holland. Photo by Ryan Brackin
Denver Economic Development & Opportunity is seeking public input and comment to its proposed 2019-2023 Housing and Urban Development Consolidated Plan and 2019 HUD Action Plan for local housing, economic development, public service, and neighborhood facilities programs. The programs utilize federal funds, as well as its proposed analysis of impediments that identifies fair housing choice limitations and proposed solutions. Public meetings will be held on the following dates: • Tuesday, June 4, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cook Park Recreation Center, 7100 Cherry Creek Drive South • Monday, June 10, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Montbello Recreation Center, 15555 E. 53rd Ave. • Monday, June 17, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Aztlan Recreation Center, 4435 Navajo St. The Consolidated Plan, the Action Plan, and the Analysis of Impediments, which will be submitted to HUD, will be available for a 30-day public comment period from now through July 1. Check out more at denvergov.org/economicdevelopment. Anyone unable to attend a public meeting may send comments to rachel.king@denvergov.org.
Is Your CarFit To Drive?
For the past three years, the Reaching Older Adult Drivers (ROAD) program has partnered with organizations in the Denver metro area to provide “CarFit,” a free educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them for greater comfort, control and safety. ROAD conducted more than 100 CarFit checkups last year. Older drivers are often the safest drivers in that they are more likely to wear their seatbelts, and less likely to speed or drink and drive. However, older drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured when a crash does occur due to the greater fragility of their aging bodies. During a CarFit event, trained technicians work with drivers to make small adjustments to basic things such as proper settings for their side mirrors and seat positioning which can make a big difference in a driver’s comfort level and help protect them and those around them. The 20-minute checkup is free, but registration is preferred. Numerous sessions are scheduled from June through September across Denver. Interested drivers should call 303-991-5740 for details and to make an appointment for an upcoming session.
Check Out The Art
Denver Public Art tours return for summer 2019 with more tours offered than ever before – all of which are free. Navigated on foot or by bike, tours allow attendees to fully immerse themselves in the city’s public art collection as they learn more about how the city commissions new pieces, the history of the program and the stories behind the artworks. Tours happen throughout Denver’s many neighborhoods. Upcoming tours include the 14th Street Tour, Burns Park, Cherry Creek Trail Urban Arts and Murals, City Park and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Colorado Convention Center, Commons Park and Confluence Park, The Denver Performing Arts Complex, Golden Triangle Public Art, and more. Most tours are limited to 15-20 participants. View the full descriptions and RSVP at denverpublicart.org/tours/.
Judge Wiley Daniel An ‘Icon’ Services For Longtime Park Hill Resident June 8
A memorial service and celebration of life for Senior United States District Judge Wiley Y. Daniel will be at Park Hill United Methodist on Saturday June 8 at 10 a.m. Daniel, a longtime resident of Park Hill on Monaco Parkway, was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado by President William J. Clinton in 1995, becoming the first African American to serve on the Colorado’s federal court. He died unexpectedly on May 10. “Judge Daniel was a quality human being and an icon to our local judiciary and legal profession,” U.S Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews told the Greater Park Hill News. “He had such a kind and generous soul . . . There is much to glean from his legacy and all he stood for and accomplished.” Judge Daniel was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Before his appointment to the federal bench, Judge Daniel practiced law for 24 years, Courtesy of the Chambers of Judge Wiley Daniel specializing in civil litigation. In 2008, ist, at 5209 Montview Blvd. Among his he became Chief Judge, in which capacity he served until he assumed Senior many other contributions, he was also a blockworker, delivering copies of the Judge status in 2013. According to a release issued by the U.S. Greater Park Hill News to his neighbors. Denver Judge Darryl F. Shockley, curDistrict Court, Daniel was also a mentor to many law students, both through rently the only African American at the hiring many students as interns and by district court level in the State of Coloteaching courses in trial advocacy as an rado, said while he did not know Judge adjunct professor at the University of Daniel well, he knew of Judge Daniel’s Colorado Law School and the University legacy, and “was in awe of him.” “He was a great man, who actively parof Denver Sturm College of Law. In Park Hill, he was a Deacon and sang ticipated in mentoring a lot of younger in the choir at Park Hill United Method- lawyers.”
NEWS
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
June 2019
The Greater Park Hill News
Page 9
A Positive Path for Spiritual Living
Honoring ALL Paths and ALL People Sunday Celebration 10 a.m. 4670 East 17th Ave Parkway, Denver CO 80220 • 303.322.3901 • Gong Meditation: Second Tuesday every month at 7 p.m. For more info: www.unityontheavenue.org
Have a Park Hill story to tell? Contact the editor@greaterparkhill.org
education Update | Lynn Kalinauskas
Stedman’s Principal Returns In Style Michael Atkins Reflects On Life In DPS, And Park Hill
On June 1, after having spent the year he attended Hamilton Middle School in as Stedman Elementary School’s Princisoutheast Denver, he says, “The first floor pal Resident, Michael Atkins will was reserved for white students who officially begin his tenure as the took honors courses. The second school’s permanent new princifloor’s east wing was for blacks and pal. Having spent summers in his the west wing for Latinos.” youth playing basketball in the In the early nineties, while Atkins school’s yard, he says he chose was in middle school, Park Hill exStedman because “I felt I was back perienced an increase in gang reat home.” lated violent crimes, including 74 In a recent meeting with Atkins murders in 1993, which became I discussed his childhood growing known as the summer of violence. Lynn up in Park Hill, his education durGrowing up surrounded by so much ing the busing era, and his desire Kalinauskas bloodshed affected Atkins. to drive positive change in the ed“I internalized the anxiety walkucational experience of children ing through the neighborhood. I in the neighborhood. wasn’t the best scholar. I got into fights. I didn’t feel wanted.” Bused to Bromwell Atkins says he had enough social awareness at the Atkins grew up on time to know he was not 30th Avenue and Newbeing set up for success. port Street. He has “How do I navigate this been part of Denver place?” he wondered Public Schools since about Hamilton. “I rehe was four years old, belled. School wasn’t my attending kindergarnumber one priority.” ten at the old Philips Atkins nonetheless Elementary at Monaco remembers the impact of and Montview. Because Mr. King, his 7th grade sciof the 1973 Supreme Court ence teacher, and first African case Keyes v. School District No. 1 that instituted Michael Atkins, in front of his American teacher. “He had busing to counter de facto Park Hill home pre-East High swagger,” says Atkins who recalls admiring and respecting segregation within Denver’s prom, circa 1998. him. schools, Atkins attended Like his grandmother, Bromwell Elementary in mother, uncles and cousins, Atkins graduthe Cherry Creek North neighborhood for ated from East High School. Gang fights first through fifth grades. were still occurring and Atkins was grateEvery day, Atkins and other African ful for his older sibling. “I was terrified of American children from the neighborgoing to school with grown men,” he says, hood took a bus to Bromwell. “All the Af“But humbled to have an older brother for rican Americans came from Park Hill,” protection.” remembers Atkins, who says he developed Atkins remembers stepping up for his authentic relationships with two of his five African American teachers and coaches in elementary teachers. high school. He felt a different level of acGrowing up in northeast Park Hill, countability towards them. Speaking about which was predominantly African AmeriMrs. Rhone, his African American history can, Atkins remembers Bromwell as the teacher, he notes, “After lunch, I was never place where he had his first interactions late, or else she would call me out and I with people of a different race. didn’t want to disappoint. I knew there was Segregation within schools a level of belief there.” Of his mostly white teachers, Atkins Although the goal of busing was to desays, “I knew they weren’t there to oppress segregate children, Atkins recalls there me, but school wasn’t set up to serve me.” was segregation within the schools. When
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Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.
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The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
Stedman principal Michael Atkins at left, dancing on the playground with Mr. Atkins, standing with three Stedman Elementary students. Photo students and staff. Photo by Ali Monroe Larson by Ali Monroe Larson
College, custodian, educator After graduating high school in 1998, Atkins became a father at 19 years old. Needing a job and having grown up around his mother’s daycare, he applied to be a paraprofessional in DPS. Unable to obtain such a position, he became a part-time custodian at Smiley Middle School. He attended college at Metropolitan State College of Denver and eventually also worked as a fulltime custodian at Rachel B. Noel school. When Atkins was promoted to assistant facility manager at Lowry Elementary, he came face-to-face with Carolyn Riedlin, his old second grade teacher, one of the two teachers with whom he had bonded. She was happy to see him and asked about his family. Two weeks later, she gave Atkins a reading and writing paraprofessional position. The job paid less than he was earning, but aligned with his interests. This chance encounter changed Atkins’ career path. He changed his college major from business, for which he had settled, to behavioral science. He then went on to obtain his teaching certificate. He taught at Hill Middle School and Godsman Elementary on the city’s west side. While working, he continued his education at CU Boulder, where he obtained a Master’s degree. He then attended the University of Denver’s
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“When I walked into Stedman and saw white, African American, and Latino children, I knew this was my opportunity to shift the experience and to diversify in a different capacity.” Ritchie Program to one day become a principal. While serving as assistant principal at SOAR at Oakland Elementary in Montbello, he caught himself treating black boys the way he had been treated in school. He then decided to work to change systemic biases within his school. He partnered with the University of Denver and had all his teachers attend the university’s Intercultural development inventory program to help them better understand their own cultures and adapt to other cultures. The program reaped rewards, says Atkins, with a decline of school suspensions from 77 to six. DPS’ Learn to Lead Program then allowed Atkins to strategically develop from an assistant principal to a principal. He has worked alongside Stedman’s interim principal Greta Martinez for the last year and was officially hired to be its principal in January, with a start date of this month.
Standing with his daughter during George Washington High School graduation in 2017. Photo courtesy of Michael Atkins
“When I walked into Stedman and saw white, African American, and Latino children,” says Atkins, “I knew this was my opportunity to shift the experience and to diversify in a different capacity; to drive community in a way that recognizes and celebrates differences.”
emotionally to be better students. “Black students have to see themselves in an academic environment,” he states. “It’s important for African American students to not work from a lens of compliance.” Atkins wants all children to have a voice in creating their shared space.
Connections and trust
Weaving the history of time
When Atkins first arrived at Stedman, word on the street was the school was targeted for closure. But enrollment numbers have been climbing for the past two years, a sign that the neighborhood has embraced the school. Atkins nonetheless sees some signs of segregation within the school that he hopes to change. Stedman’s Spanish language immersion program is mostly populated by white middle class families compared to its more traditional program. “I want to change that narrative,” says Atkins. He has been working to spread the word through “connections and trust,” he says, “not flyers and emails.” He says he can already see changes for next year with many Early Childhood Education students now staying to attend kindergarten. Looking at classrooms and the school, he wants to create shared spaces for the students that will help them socially and
Atkin’s story is a compelling weave of the history of the times. Growing up in Park Hill, his youth and education were influenced by policies and phenomena beyond his control. “That journey has not been easy. It’s been emotional and adaptively difficult,” he reflects. “Because you’re still trying to fit into an environment that wasn’t created for you.” Yet here he now stands at another crossroads, at the helm of one of Denver’s most diverse elementary schools in a gentrifying neighborhood where he once grew up. Here, he will have the opportunity to use his own experiences and connections to further the learning opportunities of hundreds of children. Lynn Kalinauskas, the author of this opinion piece, is the education chair for Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.
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Brown v Board, continued from page 1 have shown that students of color in desegregated schools score higher on standardized tests than their segregated peers and demonstrate greater critical thinking and complex problem-solving ability. The reverse is also true. Black and brown students in intensely segregated schools have lower test scores, graduation rates and can expect to earn lower wages as adults. And, more important, students of all races who attend desegregated schools have more tolerance, empathy, and crosscultural understanding than children in segregated schools. They also have less bias and prejudice and are more likely to grow up and live in integrated neighborhoods and hold jobs in integrated workplaces. At this point in our social and political life, it seems clear that we need more people with the characteristics gained from experience in diverse settings. And yet, schools in the United States and Denver are more segregated today than ever. Why is this and is there anything we can do about it?
The history of resistance Resistance to the ruling in Brown was powerful. In 1956, after the ruling, 101 Southern senators and congressmen signed the “Southern Manifesto,” claiming desegregation was unconstitutional and urging a reversal of the decision. Three years later, Virginia closed its public schools rather than allow black children to attend white schools. It was a full decade after the Brown decision before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 compelled states to follow the law. But starting only a decade later, administrative, legislative and judicial policies began to reverse the progress made. By 2007, when the Supreme Court ruled that race could no longer be used in school attendance policies, efforts to integrate schools had all but disappeared across the country. Here in Denver, the story of Keyes is similarly rife with resistance. As the case wound its way through the courts between 1969 and 1973, Denver Public Schools persisted in discriminating against students of color. The district refused to change school boundaries and used mobile classrooms and a new building to keep black students in their own schools. These tactics, and others, were seen by the courts for what they were – continued attempts to ignore the fundamental finding in Brown that separate is not equal. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that the school board stopped resisting and started to address the real inequities in the system. Using federal grant monies to open magnet schools, upgrading facilities and addressing funding and staffing inequities, along with the shift in social priorities away from desegregation as a tool for equity, the judge finally terminated the court order on September 12, 1995.
Achievement gap cut in half In spite of the resistance, where desegregation occurred around the country, the results were positive. By 1988, the achievement gap between black and white students was cut in half, funding disparities between
urban and suburban schools were eliminated, and for a brief period in the mid-1970’s, black and Latinx students attended college at the same rate as whites – the only time this has ever occurred. According to education researcher, Linda Darling-Hammond, “. . . had the rate of progress achieved in the 1970s and 1980s continued, the achievement gap would have been fully closed by the beginning of the 21st century.” And, as noted above, significant social benefits accrued to all students, regardless of race. Although the Supreme Court in Brown declared separate to be unequal and unconstitutional, it did not provide specifics about how to remedy the problem. As states reluctantly began to adhere to the law, desegregation became a numbers game in which districts, including Denver, assigned students to schools to achieve the court-ordered racial balance without addressing the instructional and cultural changes that were necessary for a truly integrated school experience. In the South, districts allowed children of color to attend white schools, but refused to send white children to non-white schools. As a result, black schools were shuttered and black teachers, deemed unacceptable for white children, were fired. Indeed, an entire generation of highly qualified black teachers were forced to leave the teaching profession. That contributed to the dearth of teachers of color today, as well as the loss of their skills and expertise in teaching black children. In Denver, as the share of white children declined, the burdens of desegregation were felt more acutely by communities of color. And, as the district focused on complying with the letter of the court order, rather than its spirit of ensuring equal access to education for all, these communities began to reject desegregation as well.
Return to segregation Segregation has resurged since the termination of court orders all over the country. Denver has regained the enrollment numbers it lost during busing but the demographics have changed. Currently, the majority of students in DPS are Latinx, roughly 25 percent are white, 13 percent are black, and 8 percent claim another or two or more races. But the decision to return to a neighborhood school system led to an almost immediate resegregation of the district. The resegregation has only worsened as our magnet schools have been allowed to ignore their origins and our school choice policies have favored those with privilege. (Of note: That decision was made by a board of which I was a member at the time, in response to overwhelming demands from all sectors of the community.) Today about 40 percent of schools have black and Latinx enrollments exceeding 90 percent. White students make up the majority in about 20 percent of our schools, despite being less than a quarter of total enrollment. Only about 18 percent of schools have no single racial group in the majority. Our own schools in Park Hill mirror this
Circa 1970, students standing in line waiting to board the bus as part of the Denver Public Schools desegregation busing system. Credit: Denver Public Library/Western History and Genealogy
Demonstrators demanding quality integrated education and social balance during a 1968 boycott at Smiley Junior High. Photo Credit: Denver Public Library/Western History and Genealogy
district-wide segregation. About 85 percent of students at Smith, Hallett and Roots elementaries are black or brown, whereas about 70 percent of students at Park Hill Elementary and McAuliffe Middle School are white. Odyssey School also has a majority white enrollment, at 53 percent. Stedman is currently the only school with a racially balanced enrollment, with about 30 percent of each major racial group.
Can we fulfill the promise of Brown? Rather than bemoaning the false narrative that desegregation didn’t work, or returning to models of desegregation that undervalue the importance of culture, we need to confront the ongoing resistance to desegregation with a vision of truly integrated schools. With longitudinal evidence that integration, not segregation, best prepares children for success in our global society, how can we build schools that reflect and welcome the rich diversity of our society? We need schools that are inclusive, that celebrate
the backgrounds of all the students, and in which power is shared equally among all racial, ethnic and economic groups. The divisions in our society today could be healed with more tolerance, empathy and civic participation. We need to give our children the chance to become the change we want to see in the world. Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education (PHNEE) is working to address inequities in our neighborhood elementary schools, many of which are caused by segregation. We have the opportunity here in our historically integrated Park Hill community to create a foundation for moving forward with respect, understanding, and appreciation for our common humanity. Laura Lefkowits is a nonprofit management consultant to educational organizations. She served on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education from 1995 to 1999 and is an active member of PHNEE. For more information, go to https://phnee.org, or send an email to info@phnee.org
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June 2019
June 2019
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The gardens this year feature a little bit of everything, including elegant spaces that are designed for entertaining, as well as fun and quirky spaces, spots that invite meditation and play, and areas of serious crop cultivation. Photos courtesy of the Park Hill Garden Walk
By Jean Ercolani Garden Walk Organizer
A multitude of gardeners will open up their spaces for public viewing at this year’s Garden Walk, and I recently had the privilege of talking with three of them. I was expecting to tour their yards and talk a little about their gardens in terms of what inspired their design, what they they like best and what frustrations they experience with their gardens. What I got was much more. The depth of sharing tapped into childhood memories, vacations, family experiences, relationships and some deep emotional feelings that connect them to their gardens.
Christina Saetta – Influenced By Travel As the conversations with gardeners progressed, the catalyst for their garden design became quite evident. For Christina Saetta, it was her love of travel combined with her love of entertaining. Her goal was to extend an indoor entertaining space to the backyard while incorporating some of her favorite things from her numerous trips to Italy and Hawaii. You’ll see evidence of both throughout her landscape design, including the use of vines, an abundance of colorful flowers and tiki lights. Christina has also created a multi-functional space that includes a living room, dining room, bar and lounge area. Her creative repurposing of various materials is another passion. Recycled, reused and repurposed items are scattered throughout. For example, she made a coffee table and a fabulous bar out of wooden pallets. The bar also happens to be a favorite gathering spot for Christina and her guests. Christina’s yard was in bad shape when she bought her house. She solicited the help of professional landscaper to get things started, and then put her own personal touch and creations into this inviting space.
Danielle & Eric Young – A Family Affair The garden of Danielle and Eric Young is a celebration of their entire family. For Danielle it began as a child. Her mother has been her most influential gardening mentor, and Danielle cherishes the shared affin-
Park Hill Garden Walk 2019
Reflecting Lifetimes Of Experience
Gardeners Pour Passions Into Their Soil ity they have to feel the dirt on their bare hands. Even some of the plants in their yard have been precariously transported from her parent’s Minnesota home. When these plants begin to emerge from the soil, Danielle is comforted by the physical reminder of her family roots. When the Youngs bought their house, the outdoor space was in horrible shape. Weeds were the primary inhabitants of the front yard. With two small children, the couple’s gardening time was limited. After putting the kids to bed, they would put on headlamps and start digging up weeds at night. Eric’s father, Gordon stepped in with some ideas and assistance. Danielle refers to Gordon as the ultimate facilitator of their garden. She is clearly grateful for the tremendous amount of help he provides with not-so-fun work such as sprinkler repair, cleanup, soil tilling, lawn mowing and building. When the Youngs share their landscape vision with Gordon, he finds a way to use his own creativity to make their dreams a reality. Even the couple’s two young children get in on the gardening. They are often playing restaurant in their bistro, fixing up their fairy garden or creating masterpieces in the sandbox. Their yard offers a bit of an international experience as well. The front is reminiscent of an English cottage with the white picket fence and interesting gate design. The side yard is an Indonesian serenity space with
white and green plants and Indonesian art scattered about. The vegetable garden is designed as a French Potager, which means it is intermingled with vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. “Our garden can be a celebration of our entire family,” Danielle says, “from my mom’s influences/gardening advice and Gordon’s hard work, my vision, Eric’s insightful input, and the cute touches from the kids, it truly is a space created from generations in our family.”
Becky Peters-Combs & Keith Combs – It All Started With A Small Fish Becky Peters-Combs went to the Botanic Gardens for the first time after her sister’s boyfriend died of bone marrow cancer at the age of 19. She found the gardens mesmerizing, with the waterfalls and tropical plants, particularly the banana trees. These two experiences got her thinking about heaven. She’d never given much thought to the idea of heaven before then, but as a result of these events, she ultimately decided that is was her job to create her own. Jumping forward several years, Becky and her husband Keith Combs decided to put in a small 300-gallon preformed pond. They bought some small koi fish for $3.99 each from PetSmart and thus it began. One of the fish, Whitie, was only about 3” long, but he got bigger, and bigger and bigger. So, they expanded to a 650-gallon pond, and then to three ponds totaling 2,700 gallons.
Whitie is now 14 years old and quite large. As a result, they have three separate ponds that total 3,400 gallons. Let me say, Whitie has a magnificent home. The Combs now have a total of 34 koi fish. The 300-gallon pond is now the home of bullfrogs. Another pond houses seven smaller koi fish and the big pond accommodates the remaining 27 koi, including Whitie. Although the ponds are a significant part of the yard design, there is a lot more to this incredible space. Their entire yard was dug by hand and each stone was hand picked and placed throughout this yard. The rocks that shape the ponds are softened by the plants used in and around the ponds. A quaint seating area with a re pit in the center is accessed by a small bridge. Other colorful flowers dot the yard and the roses were each selected for their fragrance. I asked each of these gardeners a handful of questions about these special spaces and here’s what they said. JE: What is your favorite place in your garden and why? Christina Saetta highlighted several aspects that make it to the list of favorites. She did a lot of work to open the yard up and bring connection between the patio and other areas in the yard. She particularly likes hanging out in the hammock or lounge chairs next to the fountain. You can see various areas of the yard from there. Plus, it is a great place at night for watching the moon and stars. She calls this area her “zen zone.” It makes her feel at peace and provides a mini vacation in her own backyard. She also likes the bar area when entertaining. It’s a favorite gathering place for guests. She also has a table that seats four, but expands to seat eight. Between that, the bar area and the lounge, she has plenty of comfortable entertainment space. Danielle & Eric Young: For Danielle, the veggie garden is her favorite. It goes from dirt to plants reaching over 7 feet in height from May to August. She can see the veggie garden from her kitchen window and loves watching the change from day to day. Other favorite areas include the dining area in the serenity garden and the back deck, which is
The Fine Print: How To Get Tickets The 19th annual Park Hill Garden Walk is Sunday, June 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advance tickets are $15, senior tickets (age 65+) are $12 and children under 12 are free. Tickets available online at parkhillgardenwalk.org or at these Park Hill locations. • City Floral: 1440 Kearney St. • Spinelli’s Market: 4621 E. 23rd Ave. • Cake Crumbs: 2216 Kearney St. • Park Hill Community Book Store: 4620 E 23rd Ave. • Park Hill Library: 4705 Montview Blvd. • Pauline Robinson Library: 5575 E 33rd Avenue • Ace On The Fax: 7100 E Colfax Ave. With the exception of the libraries, the locations listed above will sell tickets the day of the event for $18. They will also be available at all garden locations which will be listed on the website (www.parkhillgardenwalk.org) the day of the event. (Note: Check out last month’s issue for a story detailing the Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being, which is also on this year’s tour of gardens.)
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The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
like another living room that looks out at the perennial garden, the children’s bistro and their sandbox. Danielle and Eric frequently find themselves looking over their garden and sharing a silent nod, grateful for all the beauty around them and the gift that their outdoor space has given them, a thread tying together the generations of their family. Becky Peters-Combs & Keith Combs: This was an easy question for Becky. She and her husband love sitting at the table on their back porch. It overlooks the entire yard and brings peace and tranquility. They eat breakfast, lunch and dinner on the back porch throughout the summer. Keith uses this area for his office as well. Becky explains her yard as her own creation of heaven. “When I am there with my friends and family, I am in my heaven. For me, it couldn’t get better than this.” JE: What are your biggest frustrations with your garden? Christina Saetta: The grass. Keeping a nice healthy lawn is a constant battle when you have a dog. Danielle and Eric Young: For Eric it’s the environmental frustration. How do you balance the beauty of a garden and water usage? How do you balance enough water, but not too much so that it is wasteful? The
other frustration is sprinklers. Enough said. Becky Peters-Combs & Keith Combs: Worrying about the health and wellbeing of the fish. This is particularly true in the winter. The pumps, filters and stock tank heater all have to be working properly at all times or the fish will get sick and die. The last time the electricity went out, Keith had to go buy a battery operated aerator to keep the water flowing and keep the ponds from freezing on top. Becky has also been known to put hot water in the ponds to keep them from freezing. JE: What do people notice most about your garden? Christina Saetta: People always congregate in the outdoor living room, bar and patio area. They also enjoy the ambiance that all the tiki lights provide. The veggie garden is another area that people admire. Danielle and Eric Young: A crowd favorite is the trellis and purple cabbage out front. They get tons of comments about the purple cabbage. It gets huge and the color is amazing. Another favorite is the vegetable garden. Becky Peters-Combs & Keith Combs: People are mesmerized by the whole yard and the relaxing feeling the water features
A Few Gardening Tips Hang, Soap, Sleep, Creep, Leap
Danielle Young reads a lot of gardening books and shared a few gardening tips. Fill, Thrill and Spill: Hanging baskets should have three primary elements. The fill is the primary flower that makes up most of the basket. The thrill is an attention getter like a spike plant. The spill is a plant that flows over the side of the basket like sweet potato vine. Fill Your Fingernails With Soap: Scrape your fingernails on a bar of soap before you start working in the dirt. This keeps the dirt out and then you just wash out the soap. Sleep. Creep. Leap: Perennials need three years to get fully established. Think of it like this. The first year they sleep. The second year they creep. The third year they leap.
provide. It is total serenity. JE: What words of wisdom can you share with people who would like to create their own special garden space? Christina Saetta: Don’t be afraid to experiment and be creative with different elements. She sited the garage art as an example. She is big on using recycled furniture and sprucing it up. She also recommended playing with different elements that aren’t necessarily outdoors items. Danielle and Eric Young: Just start! If you have a big space, don’t be afraid to ask a gardener for help. Have a professional landscape designer draw up a plan. It’s worth the investment. Don’t get frustrated. It’s an evolution. Work the soil. You cannot skip this step. Good soil is the foundation of a successful garden. As Danielle said, “plants vote by their roots.” Danielle also talked about the lasagna gardening method. She swears by it. Google “lasagna gardening method” for more information. Becky Peters-Combs & Keith Combs: Specifically to ponding, you have to love fish, you have to love slimy things and you have to be willing to ask for help. Becky also referred to herself as having a “blue mind,” meaning she loves water. The Park Hill Garden Walk committee is a group of volunteers working to raise funds to support the Greater Park Hill Community mission. Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., is a volunteer-based registered neighborhood organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill through its resources, information and advocacy, all while preserving the quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation. Learn more at greaterparkhill.org.
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Girls Lacrosse The East girls finished their regular season with a 10-5 record and a No. 7 state ranking, earning the Lady Angels a No. 7 playoff seed and a first-round playoff bye. In the round of 16, East took down No. 10-ranked Chatfield High by the score of 19-12. The Angels’ season ended May 15 with a hardfought 12-7 state quarterfinal defeat to No. 2 Cherry Creek, a team East had beaten 13-12 in overtime back in March. East junior Lucy McHugh (who has already committed to Richmond University) finished as top scorer for the Angels, with 50 goals on the season. Fellow junior Ella Squibb (who has committed to Butler University) contributed another 39 goals. On May 20, Colorado Academy beat Cherry Creek East junior Ella Squibb dashes past a Chatfield defender on for its fifth consecutive title. May 10.
Sweeping The Field East High Spring Sports Roundup Story and photos by Reid Neureiter
Denver East’s Arria Minor reacts after she sees that she has tied a 32-year-old state record in the 100-meter dash at the Colorado State Track and Field Championships.
Denver East Boys Rugby
Baseball
The defending state champion East rugby squad continued its remarkable tradition of success, going undefeated in the regular season, and entering the playoffs as No. 1 seed. East had a close call in the semi-final on May 11, barely holding off a hard-charging Colorado Springs Falcons East wing Ben Gottesfeld advances the ball against Regis Jesquad by the score of 36-31. suit in the 2019 Colorado state rugby championship match. But, in a rematch of last year’s championship game, East fell in the title match by the score of 21-14 to No. 2-seeded Regis Jesuit at Glendale’s Infinity Park Rugby Stadium on May 18. In a game dominated by defense, East led at halftime by the score of 7-0, but lost three starters to injury in the second half. The match was tied 14-14 as the clock wound down. With overtime a distinct possibility, Regis scored the game-winning try on a 50-yard breakaway with just a minute left on the clock. East senior Angus Skinner evades a Regis defender during the championship match.
The East baseball team finished with an overall 10-13 record, while going 10-8 in the Denver Public Schools League. East missed out on the playoffs. Abraham Lincoln High took the Denver Prep League title with a remarkable 18-0 League record. Denver’s South High and North High finished tied for second in League play, with identical 14-4 records.
East junior pitcher Christian Rogers delivers the ball during the first game of a May 4 double-header at All-City Field against the West Cowboys.
Boys Swimming
East Girls Tennis
Boys Lacrosse
Ultimate Frisbee
For the first time in years, East boys swimming took top honors at the Denver Public Schools meet, held May 10. There they uncrowned perennial city champ, George Washington. East finished with 358 points, with GW close behind at 321, and Thomas Jefferson in third with 151. In a dual meet earlier in the season, East and GW had it tied, 151-151. At the citywide meet, GW’s Xavier Hill won both the 50 and 100 freestyle events, while East’s Saylor Benes won the 200 freestyle. East’s Ethan Beaty took the 100 butterfly, and Ryan Lauth took top honors in the 100 backstroke event.
The East girls tennis squad finished with a 6-7 overall record, going 5-2 against Denver Public Schools opposition. East qualified an Angel or Angels in every spot at the state tournament, held on May 10-11 in Denver. Senior Emma Eckenhausen at No. 2 singles advanced to the quarterfinals, as did the No. 1 doubles team of Maddie Darre and Sienna Dilworth. The state highlight was sophomore standout Karri Leach at No. 3 singles. Leach advanced to the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Sayuri Garud of Cherry Creek, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. On a team basis, East finished 12th out 27 5A schools, with Cherry Creek taking the state girls title ahead of Chatfield.
The East boys lacrosse team missed the playoffs for the first time in several years, finishing with an 8-7 overall record and going 5-3 in League play. The squad ended with a No. 21 state 5A ranking under the RPI system, with only the top 16 teams making the state playoff tournament. East junior midfielder Duncan Lewis finished as top scorer with 27 goals, while senior attackman Mustang Sally scored 22 goals – while being limited to only nine games due to injury. On May 20, in a raging snowstorm, No. 3 Cherry Creek beat No. 5 Kent Denver for the 5A state title by the score of 12-7.
The East boys ultimate Frisbee team defended their state title by winning the state championship tournament May 11-12 in Arvada. East squeaked by Lakewood High 13-12 in the semi-final, and knocked off Monarch High 12-10 in the final.
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Photo credit Altitude Ultimate
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
Track and Field East’s track team performed well at the Denver Public Schools League Meet at All-City Stadium on May 11. The East girls squad, hindered somewhat by the lack of its star sprinter Arria Minor (who was saving herself for state), nevertheless tied with South High School for first place in the DPS League, with 156 total points. Northfield High School finished third with 131 points. Standouts for the East girls included sophomore Michele McDonald, who won both the 100- and 200-meter dash events, and fellow sophomore middle distance runner Christina Doolan, who won the 800-meter individual event and was part of the winning 4x800 relay squad. The East boys team, without any throwers of note, finished with 118.50 points, in second place behind Denver West High’s 162.50. South was third, with 101 points. Stars for the East boys included junior Zion Wagoner, who anchored a win in the 4x100 meters relay event and finished third in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5’6”. East sophomore Korey Hairston won both the 100- and 200-meter dash events. One of the most exciting events of the meet was the boys 1,600 meter, where East juniors Will Daley and Asher Hoyt led for much of the race, only to be outsprinted by West’s Yasin Sado, who won in a time of 4.22.20, with Daley just a quarter of a second behind. The state championship meet on May 16-18 at Jefferson County Stadium was highlighted by East’s senior Arria Minor’s superstar final schoolgirl performance. For the fourth time, Minor won the 100-meter dash, tying a 32-year old record at 11.31. She also won the 200-meter for the fourth time, and contributed to East’s 4x100 meter relay winning team. Minor now holds the Colorado state records for the 100, 200, and 400 meters. She will attend the University of Georgia next year.
East high jumper at the DPS track and field meet on May 11.
East runners Asher Hoyt and Will Daley lead in the boys’ 1,600-meter event on May 11.
At left: East long jumper. Right: Sophomore Christina Doolan running a leg of the 4x800-meter relay.
East sophomore Michelle McDonald on her way to winning the 100-meter dash on May 11.
East shotputter on May 11.
East’s Zion Wagoner anchors the winning 4x100 boys relay squad. East won in 42.89, with George Washington finishing second.
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THIS MONTH AT THE LIBRARY
Summer of Adventure Ripe With Possibilities The Wonders Of Trying, Seeing, Doing New Things by Dawn Mendel Park Hill Library
After years of hosting the Summer of Reading program at the Denver Public Library, you may have noticed a name change of the program a few years ago. Now it is called Summer of Adventure. Why the change? While we still want to encourage kids to read and slow the summer slump in reading levels that has been documented by research, the library recognizes that there are many ways to learn and we want to encourage learning not only though reading but also through trying new things, enjoying experiences, making things, and going places. We recognize that everyone has their own learning style and preferences and we try to provide choices and flexibility in our Summer of Adventure program. That is why the Summer of Adventure Program is free and provides youth – birth through 12th grade – with opportunities to foster self-motivation by reading, making, and exploring during the summer months. Every child who comes to any Denver Public Library can get an Adventure Guide. It is like a game board to track all the great stuff they do all summer long. Prizes are awarded when the program is started and when it is finished. Bonus: everyone registered in the program is entered into weekly drawings to win tickets to Elitch’s, the Denver Zoo and more. Kids also have opportunities to win additional prizes when attending programs at the library. Maker Challenge Focus: “Maker Spaces” is a trendy term and “making” can be a part of your child’s summer of adventure choices. What does “making” mean to your family? It may be making arts and crafts, making music, cooking, making others laugh by telling a joke, and for the littlest makers just making a mess and learning about the world. Denver Public Library locations offer opportunities to make things for kids in preschool through high school, including sewing, crafts, music, cooking and more. But you don’t have to attend one of our programs – come up with your own ideas and have fun at home. To highlight “making” this summer the Summer of Adventure program is encour-
aging participants to show off what they have been making by uploading images or video of what they have made and having a chance to win another prize. Here are a few books that may inspire your child to “make” something this summer: The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires. This beautifully illustrated picture book is about a girl, her dog, imagination,
lots of perseverance and a lesson about the importance of never giving up on yourself even though you may fail once, twice, several times. The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell. This graphic novel has been selected as the Youth One Book, One Denver title this year. A group of neighborhood kids transform cardboard into homemade costumes and their neighborhood into a cardboard kingdom while exploring relationships with friends and family and discovering truths about their own identities. Readers may be inspired to make their own costumes or cardboard creations. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. Dimple Shah is excited but surprised when she gets permission from her parents to attend a summer tech program for aspiring web developers. She finds out why they were so eager for her to enroll when
she meets Rishi Patel, a family friend with an agenda of his own. Will these two manage to navigate their budding relationship and complete the summer program or will something have to be set aside for one of them to succeed?
Park Hill Library Events
All Ages Storytime | Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for children of all ages and their parents or caregivers. Craft activity immediately follows the program. Baby Storytime | Thursdays and Fridays at 11:15 a.m.
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their caregivers. Play and social time immediately follow the program.
cue Committee, one of Colorado’s resettlement agencies, will present an information session on what it means to be a refugee. Learn about the resettlement process and how we can come together to support our refugee communities.
Hummingbird Henna for Teens | Monday, June 10, 4:30 p.m.
Learn about the history of henna, practice designs with henna ink, and have a professional design applied to your hand/ arm/leg. *Ideal for ages 11-17. *Up to 25 participants, so arrive early. Protecting Your Privacy Online | Tuesday, June 11, 4 p.m.
Learn how to limit what’s shared about you online. Find out how browser plug-ins, proxies, and the Tor browser can help keep your information private.
Toddler Storytime | Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
Teen Advisory Board (TAB) | Tuesday, June 11, 6 p.m.
No Strings Attached Book Chat | Saturdays, June 1 and 29, 11 a.m.
opinion count. Plus, snacks. *Ideal for ages 13 and up.
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for toddlers ages 18-36 months and their caregivers.
Read whatever you want and attend whenever you can. Share a recent read, an old favorite, or anything in between.
Mosaics for Little Fingers | Monday, June 3, 10:30 a.m.
Be an artist! Create a masterpiece with knickknacks that catch your eye. Ideal for 1-5 year olds. Artist in Residence: Stone Balancing with Tom O’Dwyer | Thursdays, June 6, 13, 20, 27, 4 p.m.
Play with the forces of gravity and nature as you learn to balance stones by settling your mind and harnessing your own artistic design. Children 7-14 must be accompanied by an adult. Come to one or all sessions. World Refugee Day | Saturday, June 8, 2:30 p.m.
There are more than 25 million refugees in the world today. The International Res-
Join the Park Hill TAB. Help plan events and projects, talk about your favorite books, music, movies and make your
Taiko Drumming | Wednesday, June 12, 3 p.m.
Taiko with Toni offers an introduction to the Japanese culture through folktales and fun-filled Japanese festival or “matsuri.” With the taiko (Japanese drum) and other Japanese instruments, hands-on physical activity for students, and the use of the Japanese language, Toni Yagami hopes that students will learn to recognize the differences and similarities between their own culture and the Japanese culture. Lost Creek String Band | Wednesday, June 12, 6:30 p.m.
Tap your toes while local musicians combine the melodic tones of the mandolin, bass, guitar, ukulele and violin in a repertoire that spans everything from folk and bluegrass to acoustic rock. Bring your lawn chair or blanket for an outdoor concert.
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The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
Kids’ Craft: Photo Cube | Friday, June 14, 3 p.m.
Decorate a wooden cube to display your favorite photo on. Give it as a Father’s Day gift or keep it for yourself. Kids’ Book Club | Tuesday, June 18, 3:30 p.m.
This month’s book is Alien in My Pocket #1– Blast Off by Nathan Ball. We will be making film canister rockets and blasting them off on the front lawn. Snack: Banana splits with sprinkles. Denver Paranormal Research Society | Tuesday, June 18, 5 p.m.
If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, if there’s something weird and it don’t look good--who you gonna call? The Denver Paranormal Research Society, of course! Join us to find out what exactly the Denver Paranormal Research Society does, what are the tools of the trade, and what to do if you suspect paranormal activity in your home. *Ideal for ages 11-17. Nature’s Educators: Creatures of the Night | Wednesday, June 19, 3 p.m.
For this popular program, we will learn about creatures that are active at night. Nature’s Educators will bring an owl and a few other creepy-crawly critters to help show off their amazing adaptations.
The Denver School Book: The History of Denver Public Schools, 1859-1967, with Author Phil Goodstein | Wednesday, June 19, 6:30 p.m.
Author Phil Goodstein, a graduate of Denver Public Schools and veteran historian, will share how the Park Hill neighborhood was featured in school controversies and achievements over the last 50 years. Tween Book Club | Thursday, June 20, 3:30 p.m.
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate Activity: Make your own wishtree!
Park Hill Underground Comedy Club: Christie Buchele | Thursday, June 20, 7 p.m.
Denver comedian Christie Buchele reps the Mile High City while crushing audiences with a wry, biting style that’s sweet and surly; proving that you can say anything with a smile on your face and a gimp in your step in our underground, after-hours comedy club. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Eighteen and over only due to adult content. Kids’ Craft: Ugly Dolls Hand Sewing | Friday, June 21, 3 p.m.
Create your own ugly doll from felt and thread using hand sewing techniques. Recommended for ages 8 and up or younger children with hands-on parental help. Chamber Music at the Library | Saturday, June 22, 2:30 p.m.
Enjoy a live performance of Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence string sextet. Enjoy good friends, great music, and having a wonderful time in a casual atmosphere. Sip and Paint Guided Canvas Painting for Teens | Monday, June 24, 4:30 p.m.
Join us for an instructor-guided canvas painting workshop, while you sip and snack! *Ideal for ages 11-17. *Up to 15 participants, so arrive early. Fused Glass Art Class for Teens | Tuesday, June 25, 5 p.m.
Express your creativity with a fused glass art project. Join us to make a pendant, key chain, or stone. *Ideal for ages 11-17. *Up to 35 participants, so arrive early. Istari World Percussion | Wednesday, June 26, 3 p.m.
Together, percussionists Chadzilla & Ed Contreras show the roots of modern American music. From Africa to the Middle East, from South America to the Caribbean. Audiences will enjoy the great drumming, education, and humor that is Istari! Handson interaction with percussion instruments from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, as well as dance. Kids’ Craft: Pool Noodle Puppet | Friday, June 28, 3 p.m.
Create a pool noodle puppet with a working mouth.
Pauline Robinson Events
Enter the Maker Challenge for a chance to win a prize. Starting June 1, visit denverlibraryadventures.org/ and click on “Share Your Project.” Rain Garden Clean Up Day | Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.- 12 noon
We’re cleaning up our rain garden and can use help. Bring your gloves. Some tools will be provided. June 2019
The Greater Park Hill News
Tech Help Appointments |Mondays and Tuesdays, noon-1 p.m.
Get technology assistance from one of our in-house experts on your own device or a public computer. Learn the basics, such as email, social networking, word processing and eMedia. Call the library at 720865-0290 to schedule an appointment for Monday or Tuesday.
World Refugee Day Kickoff | Monday, June 3, 3 p.m.
June 20 is World Refugee Day. Join us for a family celebration featuring Chihera, a Muchineripi family band. Create connections through the music of Zimbabwe and learn how we can come together to support our refugee communities. Job Readiness (Teens)| Tuesday, June 4, 2 p.m.
We will help you build a resume and practice your interview skills to start working. Preschool Storytime | Wednesdays, June 5 & 19, 10:30 a.m.
Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for 3-5 year olds and their parents or caregivers. Caricatures (K-5) | Wednesday, June 5, 3 p.m.
Caricature artist Daniel Lowenstein will create drawings of participants. Cooking with Edible Revolution (Teens)| | Tuesday, June 11, 2 p.m.
Edible Revolution teaches youth practical skills to make their own tasty creations with recipes they can confidently reuse at home. Mini Early Literacy Fair (Birth to Pre-K) | Wednesday, June 12, 10:30 a.m.
Join us for two hours of literacy fun. Drop in for and explore a variety of activities that focus on the early literacy skills (READ, WRITE, TALK, SING, PLAY, LAUGH) will be available for exploration. Program is geared toward ages birth to 5 years and their caregivers. Marble Run (K-5) | Wednesday, June 12, 3 p.m.
Be a designer! Build your own challenge course and create a game out of it. Interactive Music Workshops (K- 18) | Monday, June 17, 2 - 5 p.m.
Interactive music workshops with Take Note Colorado. Workshops will be led by artists from around the state! We will have several stations to try out: · Turntable Workshop – Learn to scratch like the pros. Bring a friend, drop a beat and take turns trading some sweet cuts. · MC, Autotune and Vocals Workshop – Want to MC and see what you sound like? Jump in on some great tunes that you can sing with Autotune, hear it played back and see how producers make vocal magic. · Song Shapers Workshop – Learn how melody, rhythm and harmony come together to form a song while singing some popular tunes and sampling some instruments to see how the different parts affect the whole. · Mini concert with a range of artists incorporating some of the workshop elements from the day’s events. Tie Dyed T-Shirts (Teens) | Tuesday, June 18, 2 p.m.
Step into a bright summer with your own hand dyed T-shirt. Fused Glass (K-5) | Wednesday, June 19, 3 p.m.
Be a glass artist. Use fused glass to create a pendant or keychain. The Pauline Robinson Book Club | Saturday, June 22, noon
This month’s selection: New People by Danzy Senna. Drop-ins are welcome.
Basic Ukulele (K-5) | Mondays, June 24 – Aug 12, 3 p.m.
Learn ukulele and other music basics while playing songs you know and love, as well as start creating your own. A limited number of ukuleles will be available. Snacks and Space (Teens)| | Tuesday, June 25, 2 p.m.
Chill in our new teen space and help us decorate it. Snacks will be provided. Instrument Creation and Petting Zoo (Birth to Pre-K) | Wednesday, June 26, 10:30 a.m.
Come and check out all the musical instruments we have at the library, create your own and explore how music has an important role in brain development. Bath Bombs & Lip Balms (K-5) | Wednesday, June 26, 3 p.m.
Be a cosmetic chemist. Learn to make self-care products for yourself, to sell, or as a gift. Page 19
E. 52nd Ave
Colorado Blvd.
E. 48th Ave
Monaco St.
Ivy St.
Forest St.
Quebec St.
Niagara St.
Elm St.
Lana Cordes and Sue Weinstein putting together cabinets to revamp the food pantry. Photo by Claudia Fields
GPHC Command Central
E. 29th Ave
Magnolia St.
Ivy St.
Eudora St.
Farm Stand Starts In June
Colorado Blvd.
Lana Cordes, Executive Director
E. 29th Ave
Sharing The Bounties Of Our Gardens
Carol Aherne Alexandra Alwin Jbs Arts Mike Barden John M. Brink Sara Burgess Michael Bush Mary Carlson Stephanie Calabrese Rosalie Chamberlain Carol Chipman Catherine Cray Carla Finch Douglas Fishburne Mary Hacking Forrest Hobbs Kathryn Holm
Page 20
Barbara Holme Nancy Howe Sean Janelle Stephen Kaeuper Kristen Kahn Colleen Kazemi Jennifer Kolb Courtney LeDuc Dora Lee Larson Jesse Loper Buffy Naake Getabecha Mekonnen Harriet Mullaney Scott Ranby Kurt Reisser Lee Rosenberg Matthew Sadler Alexis Senger Elaine Selsberg
Melissa Stirdivant Amber Strickler Julie Swatosch Sarah Swanson Barbara Symonds Pamela Tarquin Diana Walstrom Jason Wing Kim Wille Jeannie Willis
Donor Organizations AARP #995 Queen City Blessed Sacrament Cure D’Ars Catholic Church Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-
Being Hinman’s Bakery Messiah Lutheran Church Park Hill United Congregational Church Park Hill United Methodist Church St. Thomas Episcopal
Volunteers Janey Alpert Sue Bruner Barbara Cavender Millie Drumwright Adrienne Hill Sarah Hopkins Jack Farrar
Claudia Fields Harold Fields Maria Goodwin Noni Horwitz Megan Jamison Erika Hutyra Jasper Mueller Chuck Nelson Debra Lovell Peggy Roberts Deb Rosenbaum Tammi Scroggins Heather Shulman Shane Sutherland Daryl Warren Sue Weinstein
E. Colfax Ave
Syracuse
Donors
Montview E. 19th Ave
Kearney St.
The weather is warm, the flowers are in the incredible gardens at the Dahlia Cambloom, and it is time to get out and enjoy pus for Health and Well-Being will also be all that June brings! We are excited to be featured. Advance tickets are $15. Seniors bringing back our Free Farm Stand starting (age 65+) are $12. Children under 12 are Monday, June 3. free. We partner with Denver Food All the details about this year’s Rescue volunteers, who pick up Garden Walk can be found on pagleftover food from City Park Eses 14-15. And don’t forget to mark planade Farmers’ Market (at East your calendar for the 10th Annual High School) on Sunday. They biPark Hill 4th of July Parade at 1:30 cycle it over to Greater Park Hill p.m. on – you guessed it – the 4th of Community offices at 2823 Fairfax July. Check out parkhillparade.org St. to be distributed on Monday. for additional details. As always, The farm stand, which is on the please join us on the first Thursday sidewalk in front of our office, is Lana Cordes of the month at 6:30 p.m. at 2823 completely free and open to everyFairfax for our community and one. In addition, if you are a garboard meeting. This month’s meetdener and you would like to donate ing is Thursday, June 6. excess food to our stand, please bring it on We are adjusting to an exciting change over. Take some produce, give some proas our Emergency Food Pantry has been duce – our goal is to keep all of this fresh, moved into a different space within our ofnutritious food out of the landfill and get fices and community room. New shelves, it into bellies. a new setup, and dedicated space mean an The farm stand will operate every Monimproved shopping experience for all of day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. from June our clients and volunteers. Swing by and through October. check it out! Did you know GPHC is turning 50 this We’d like to extend a thank you to Bikes year? We are so excited to be hosting the Together, our newest non-perishable food Greater Park “Over the Hill” 50th Anniverdonation drop-off partner. Located right sary Celebration on Saturday, June 1 from 3 next door, this will provide a new level of p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will include a block convenience for donors who find themparty on the 2800 block of Fairfax Street selves at our office outside of normal busiwith food, beverages, and activities for all ness hours. We are currently in need of ages, as well as a historical showcase, silent canned fruits, canned meats, nut butters, auction, and more in our office located at coffee, toilet paper, and paper towels. Now 2823 Fairfax. Please come and celebrate you can drop off donations at our office, with us! Bikes Together (2825 Fairfax St., next door The 19th Annual Park Hill Garden Walk to us), the Park Hill Branch of Denver on June 23 is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Public Library (4705 Montview Blvd.), and promises to be a day full of inspiration and Cake Crumbs (2216 Kearney St.) all during pure enjoyment. regular business hours. This year you can expect to see creative To the donors and volunteers who give repurposing of materials such as broken their time, talent, and treasure - thank you. chairs, old pieces of ironwork, reclaimed We are grateful to be part of a community wood, and stained glass, as well as unique that comes together to care for those who raised beds in all shapes, sizes, and materineed it most. als. In addition to six residential gardens,
This map shows the 10 district boundaries of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Your district representatives are identified in the column below. Six at-large representatives also currently serve on the board of the Registered Neighborhood Organization.
GPHC, Inc: Who We Are, What We Do, Our Mission The Mission and The Officers of Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. The Greater Park Hill Community, Inc., is a volunteer-based registered neighborhood organization that promotes the character and vibrancy of Park Hill, provides resources, information and advocacy, and preserves quality of life and the history of the neighborhood through community participation. The Greater Park Hill Community board is comprised of volunteer at-large representatives, as well as 10 district representatives. If you are interested in volunteering or serving on a committee, contact current GPHC Board Chair Tracey MacDermott at chair@greaterparkhill.org for details. The following are current board members, and their best contacts. Many representatives prefer to be contacted through the main office – at 303-388-0918 or info@ greaterparkhill.org. If you have an issue you’d like to discuss about the neighborhood, contact your board representative. For those board members who don’t have a phone or email contact in the list at right, leave a message at the main number and it will be forwarded to your elected representative by GPHC Executive Director Lana Cordes. The GPHC office is at 2823 Fairfax St..
• Board Chair Tracey MacDermott: chair@greaterparkhill.org • Secretary and Zoning/Property Use Chair Bernadette Kelly • Treasurer and District 3 Rep Heather Shockey • District 1 Rep LaMone Noles • District 2 Rep Ryan T. Hunter • District 4 Rep Kevin Wiegand • District 5 Rep Blair Taylor • District 6 Rep James King • District 7 Rep Jon Bowman • District 8 Nam Henderson • District 9 Stephanie Ceccato • District 10 Colette Carey • At-Large Matt Bradford • At-Large Christine Caruso • At-Large Jeanette Fedele • At-Large Justin Petaccio • At-Large Louis Plachowski: lplachowski@gmail.com • At-Large Rebecca Rogers • Community Safety Chair Geneva Goldsby • Community Planning Chair Lisa Zoeller • Education Chair Lynn Kalinauskas • Fundraising Chair Lana Cordes • Building Services Chair Louis Plachowski • Public Information Chair Melissa Davis: newspaper@greaterparkhill.org
Thanks to all of our blockworkers, who deliver the Greater Park Hill News throughout the neighborhood every month! If you are interested in becoming a blockworker, contact newspaper manager Melissa Davis at newspaper@greaterparkhill.org The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
Park Hill VET | Dr. Margot Vahrenwald, DVM, ASVJ
Reading Pet Food Labels What Do They Tell You About Nutrition and Balance?
What does your pet food label tell you actual chicken as a diet with chicken meal about the quality of the food? Actually, not (<10 percent moisture).” And, to make much at all. That label space conit even more confusing, ingreditains some required information, ents from the same source can be but the rest is really marketing to broken down by component, such you – as is much of the look and as chicken meat, chicken fat and content of the bag. Label design, chicken-by-product meal. All this art and wording are designed to complicates knowing how much of have maximum appeal to you, the total chicken is in the food. pet owner. Now to help you interpret that Legally pet food manufacturers label information better: are governed by regulations on how Dr. Margot • Many ingredients, such as in some ingredients must be listed. Ingredi- Vahrenwald popular boutique foods, are to ents must be in order of weight, intempt owners, not pets. Additioncluding water. This means that ingredients ally, the volume of said ingredients may with a higher water content – such as fresh only be the equivalent of a sprinkle rathmeat – are going to be listed higher than er that substantive. Kale and artichoke similar volume of dry ingredients. sound good, but they have no nutritional Per the clinical nutrition team at Tufts, value-add to pet food. They do, however, “A [canned] diet with chicken (70 percent often increase cost. water) as the first ingredient may have less • “Human-grade” – there is no such thing
in pet food. To be a food for humans, plete and balanced and not meant to be there are very tight federal requirements fed as a long term diet – most commonly on all the ingredients as well as the final these are veterinary prescription diets to product along with their storage, promanage specific medical conditions. cessing and transportation. Once an in• Vitamins, minerals and 100 percent natgredient is on its way into a pet food, it is ural claims – most vitamins and minerconsidered no longer fit for human conals going into pet foods (as well as people sumption. Lastly, from the foods) – are synthetic but are Tufts nutritionists, “ingredirequired for healthy bodies ents sourced from the human and minds. Pet food compafood chain are not necessarily Many ingredients, nies can claim “natural with such as in some added vitamins, minerals and any more nutritious, wholesome or safe than ingredients popular boutique trace nutrients,” but take care destined for pet food.” check the nutritional adefoods, are to tempt to • Instead of the ingredient list, quacy statement if you see allmake sure to read the nutri- owners, not pets. natural or 100 percent natural tional adequacy statement. claims. This tells you that a diet was To get ahead of the markettested for nutritional adequacy via feeding language, make sure you read the nuing tests or formulation tests, as well as tritional adequacy statement first and use the life stage for which the diet is approthe ingredient list to look for anything that priate. Feeding trials are costly but are raises red flags about the diet not being balthe best means of determining how well anced and nutritionally adequate. a population of pets does. Formulation testing, which is bench chemistry testDr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of ing, ensures that the food is complete and Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at balanced based by meeting minimum 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit levels of required nutrients for life stage www.parkhillvet.com and not exceeding maximums. There are also diets that are not nutritionally com-
Keep your neighborhood strong! Join Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. We have a variety of memberships. All memberships are tax deductible. ___ Individual or Family ($35/year) ___ Business or Patron ($250/year)
[ ] New member
___ Sponsor ($100/year) ___ Other
[ ] Membership renewal
If these membership levels are not suitable, GPHC will gratefully accept a donation for membership dues at a level that is comfortable for you and your family.
Field Trip!
Name: ________________________________________________________
Smiling readers from Park Hill Elementary’s Tuesday Afternoon Club enjoy a field trip to the Tattered Cover Book Store on east Colfax Avenue. For nine years the Goe family has sponsored the outing not only to reward the students in the tutoring program with new books but also to honor the memory of TAC founding member Fran Goe. A special thank you to Park Hill Elementary 4th grade teacher and TAC coordinator Braden Seward, and Tattered Cover Book Store Promotions Manager Suzanne Gutierrez, for making the day so special. Photo courtesy of Kristin Coulter
Address & Zip:__________________________________________________
Business name:_________________________________________________ Phone:_____________________(work) ________________________(home) Email: ________________________________________________________
Mail to: GPHC, 2823 Fairfax Street, Denver CO 80207
CHRIS
MERMAN
June 2019
The Greater Park Hill News
Page 21
Art Garage
resources and Events
6100 E. 23rd Ave., artgaragedenver. com, 303-377-2353
Denver Police District 2
Twenty years of experience working with Denver’s classic homes Numerous Park Hill references Design and Renovation Specialists
720-338-0748
www.CitySideRemodeling.com
A Straight Up Fence Company Fences - Gates - Iron Work
A Straight Up Fence Company is a family owned and operated fence, gate and iron work installation and repair company. Specializing in custom metal fabrication, automated gates, cedar, vinyl, chain link and composite materials.
720-404-4730 | denverfencebuilder.com
$50 off any job over 50’
$100 off any fence job over 100’
3921 Holly St., 2.Dist@denvergov.org, 720-913-1000 The District 2 Community Advisory Board’s (2CAB) monthly meetings are on the fourth Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. in the D2 Police Station Community Room.
Denver Public Schools
dpsk12.org/expo Denver School of the Arts, 7111 Montview Blvd. Performances, adult and children’s classes, 720 424-1700.
Faith Community
greaterparkhill.org/faith Greater Park Hill’s faith community, home to over 30 places of worship in just four square miles, is as diverse and robust as the neighborhood itself. The GPHN maintains a list of Park Hill’s places of worship at the website above.
Greater Park Hill Community, Inc.
2823 Fairfax St., greaterparkhill.org, 303-388-0918 The GPHC neighborhood association generally holds its monthly meetings on the first Thursdays of the month. The meetings are free and open to all. The next community meeting is Thursday, June 6, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the GPHC, Inc. office at 2823 Fairfax St. There is no meeting in July.
Holly Area Redevelopment Project (HARP) 6.30.19
HOUSE CLEANING Many Park Hill & Stapleton References Detail Oriented • Ironing Included • Move In/Move Out Cleaning Specialists • Offices/Apartments/Homes
Park Hill Resident • PaulinaLeon22@hotmail.com
#1 in Clean: Paulina Leon 720-628-6690
Kids night
June 10: PrinCess Jasmine & henna
every tuesday BallOOn animal Artist • FAce PAinter • ice creAm sundAes • Kids PizzA
Free
June 17: anna & elsa June 23: FAmily Bingo night
6115 e. 22nd ave., denver CO 80207 • 303.321.1511
Call to make reservations today!
HOPE Center, 3475 Holly St. HARP holds second Monday monthly meeting at the HOPE Center from 6:157:30pm. RSVP required to lsullivan@ denverfoundation.org.
Libraries
denverlibrary.org See the “At the Library” feature in this month’s issue, for a complete listing of events and programs at the Park Hill and Pauline Robinson branch libraries.
Northeast Park Hill Coalition
The Northeast Park Hill Coalition hosts its monthly meeting at the Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being, 3401 Eudora St. Meetings are the second Thursdays of the month at 6 p.m.
Park Hill Community Bookstore
Established in 1971. Denver’s oldest nonprofit bookstore. Used and new books. 6420 E. 23rd Avenue. 303-3558508. Hours: Monday –Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Members and volunteers get discounts and book credits.
Park Hill Peloton
A recreational group of road cyclists that roll from Park Hill once or twice a week. Find them on Facebook.
Sertoma Club
303-370-0932 The Greater Park Hill Sertoma Club holds a breakfast meeting every first and third Saturday morning at 8 a.m. at the District 2 Police Station, 3921 Holly St.
Sie Filmcenter
2510 E. Colfax, denverfilm.org, 303595-3456
Tai Chi Project
taichiproj@earthlink.net, 303-744-7676 Tai Chi classes Thursday mornings in City Park at 7-7:45 a.m. planned in conjunction with DMNS.
Tattered Cover Travel Lovers Book Club
The book club meets the 2nd Monday of each month at the Tattered Cover at 2526 E. Colfax Ave.
Walk2Connect
www.walk2connect.com Park Hill Sunrise Walking Trips set off every Tuesday morning from Spinelli’s Coffee and Ice Cream at 23rd and Dahlia at 7 a.m. No cost. Walks are about one hour long, just under three miles, and family and dog friendly. For more information, email jonathon@walk2connect.com or call 303-908-0076. Northeast Park Hill Bilingual Walk take place the first Saturday of each month. Gather outside Hiawatha Davis Jr. Rec Center on 33rd and Holly at 9:30 a.m. for a one-hour walk. No cost. The walk is family friendly and bilingual Spanish/English led by Ana Luisa Gallardo. For more info contact maria@ walk2connect.com or call/text Ana Luisa at 720-298-0605. For text reminders, send CAMINANED to 33222.
Submit your neighborhood events
and resources to editor@greaterparkhill.org Deadlines are the 15th of the month, for the following month’s issue.
Bringing Color to Park Hill We Are The Clean Guys In A Dirty Industry!
Complete Interior and Exterior Painting
Our exterior schedule is filling up fast, so call now to get an estimate!
20 Page 22
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Ireland’s Finest Painting Co. (303) 512-8777 irelandsfinestinc.com
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019
GPHN Classifieds Chiropractic Care
MAC CHIROPRACTIC Located at 3500 East 17th Avenue across from Denver’s City Park. Specializing in Diversified full spine and extremity adjustments. Call 970-999-2823 to schedule an appointment or visit www.macchiropracticdc. com
Concrete
Residential concrete work. Free estimate. Senior discount. Please call 303429-0380
Gardening
Lawn Care
Aeration – Sod fertilizer – Power rake – Lawn mowing, Rototilling – Hauling – Fence repair or build – Stump removal – Weed control – Lawn mower repair – Shrubbery care – Small trees removed 720-327-9911
Masonry Services
Masonry Services- Brick, Stone, Concrete, restoration, tuck pointing, chimneys, retaining walls, city sidewalks. Licensed, bonded, and insured. www. thebrickandstoneguy.com References. Call Shawn 303-907-9223
Flower & Vegetable Gardening. Spring clean-up is around the corner! Residential landscape design, installation, and maintenance. Professional assistance with all your gardening needs, including monthly maintenance. Saige Gardens. saigegardens@yahoo.com 303-5069960
THE WALL REBUILDERS Interior plaster (and drywall) repair. We repair cracks, holes, crumbling walls, etc. Specializing in older homes, though we fix houses of every age. Dan and Laura Pino 303-698-1057
Handy Man
Plumbing
Quality Denver Handyman Commercial and Residential Inc. Your job done right, on time, the first time! 30+ years construction experience including historical buildings. HVAC, windows, doors, kitchen and bath remodeling, roofing, sheet rock & paint, basements, attics, addition, flooring, tiles, overall repairs and design. Apartment maintenance, management, and construction consulting. Insured. Team Klaus Schuermann (720) 345-8016 www.qualitydenverhandyman.com Brush & Hammer- 303-895-5192, No job too small, affordable-reliable services. Clean gutters, repair, replace, wood fences, gates and decks, interior painting, hang curtain rods and blinds, assemble IKEA vanities and cabinets, install small paver or flagstone patios and walkways
Hauling
Cut Rate Hauling - A trash, clutter, and junk removal service. Estate clean up, eviction clean up, construction debris, etc. Call Ruben today 720-434-8042 Always Hauling. A trash removal company. Property cleanouts, light demo, branches, furniture etc. No Job too Big or too Small. Free estimate. Proud partner to Susan G.Komen breast cancer foundation. 720-373-5700 Pamela
Plaster Repair
SUMMER IS HERE!
BASEMENT FINISH • KITCHENS • BATHS • WHOLE HOUSE REMODELS
Do your double-hung windows open, stay open? I can fix them & insulate them. Other Questions? Call David, experienced restorer!
720.550.2786
d NREE R war N I W A CA A EN 8 HB ITCH T K DEL S E B EMO 0k R k-10
201
$50
303.355.5666
DIANEGORDONDESIGN.COM
VAIL PLUMBING & HEATING - The Older Home Specialist. Repair, service, remodel. Hot water heat. Licensed, insured, guaranteed. 303-329-6042
Roofing
Residential reroofing and repairs, 17 years experience, licensed, bonded, and insured. Gutter replacement and cleaning. www.accurateroofingandmasonry.com Call Shawn 303-907-9223
Sprinklers
Plumbing & Sprinklers - Repair or replace, disposal, toilets, water heaters, faucets, sinks, drain cleaning, sump pump, water pressure regulator. Sprinkler blow out, repair and install. www. vertecservices.com 720-298-0880
Grooming Lessons • Toys • Treats • Apparel
PET SPA
303.954.9486
Peaceful • Stress Free • Spa Treatment • Educational Resource Wendy Miner NCMG, Lucinda Young, Gemma Brown
2247 Oneida St. Denver, CO 80207 • www.ZenDenPetSpa.com
Tree Trimming
Tree trimming and trash removal. Please call 303-429-0380
Windows
Double hung window RESTORATION includes replacing sash cords (ropes) and removal of excess paint on wood and metal plus lubrication for smooth opening and closing. Also restore metal casement windows. 40 year resident of PH. Contact David 720-550-2786.
To advertise in the Classifieds contact Melissa Davis newspaper@greaterparkhill.org • 720-287-0442 (voicemail) the deadline for submitting a classified ad is the 15th of every month
HAKALA FAMILY DENTISTRY One Decade of 5280 Top Dentist
MAYFAIR VISION CLINIC
Adult and Children’s Vision • Complete Visual, Eye Health and Glaucoma Testing • All Types of Contact Lenses • Frames with One Year Guarantee • Most Insurances Accepted • Free Adjustments and Minor Frame Repair • 15% Discount for Senior Citizens
Dr. Janice I. Jarret 1336 Leyden
Across from Safeway June 2019
The Greater Park Hill News
303.333.9898
2009 to 2019
KATE HAKALA, DDS 4200 E. 8th Ave. #200 Denver, CO 80220
303-321-8967
www.hakalafamilydentisty.com Page 23
nEw prIcE
SoLd 2920 E. Iliff
Observatory Park on the Park Outstanding Newer Build
$2,299,000
1755 Leyden Park Hill Tudor
$765,000
undEr
SoLd
contrAct
Make a Reservation
Online at Open Table, Yelp or
Call 303.333.5007
2552 E. Alameda #35
Polo Club North townhome. Best location in complex on the water
$1,250,000
1393 S. pearl
Platt Park; Stone’s throw from shops and restaurants
$699,950
free appetizer (maximum value $8)
with purchase of $50 or more Cannot be combined with any other special offer
Free Signature roll (maximum value $14)
with purchase of $100 or more Cannot be combined with any other special offer
5007 E. Colfax Ave., Denver 303.333.5007 \\ JettSushi.com
STA RT YOU R
SEARCH TODAY
The Denver Preschool Program offers tools to help families find a quality preschool that best meets their needs and tuition support to help lower their child’s monthly enrollment costs.
TO ENROLL YOUR 4-YEAR-OLD IN PRESCHOOL
Get started today at
DENVERPRESCHOOL.COM Page 24
The Greater Park Hill News
June 2019